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Esoteric Lessons 



IBY 

SARAH STANLEY GRIMKE, Ph. B. 



SEQUEL TO 

'FIRST LESSONS IN REALITY" 



PUBLISHED BY 

The i^Wo-pjilogophical publishing Co. 

DENVER, COLO., I9OO 



2912S 






.t» 



Lib **'» Of Concir^^| 

Two Copies Reu u*o J 
AUG 3 1900 

Copyright entry 

SECOND COPY. 

Delivered to 

ORDER DIVISION, 
AUG 7 1900 



COPYRIGHT, I90O 

By HENRY WAGNER, M. D. 



67151 



Personified Unthinkables 



AN ARGUMENT 
AGAINST PHYSICAL CAUSATION 



Ilhtstrated by the Magic Lantern 



including 

" First Lessons In Reality," "Personified 

Unthinkables" and "A Tour Through 

the Zodiac," a sequel to "First 

Lessons In Reality." 



PUBLISHER'S PREFACE. 



It is the desire of the Authoress to preserve 
her "First Lessons in Reality" and "Personi- 
fied Unthinkables/' together with "A Tour 
Through the Zodiac/' in one volume. There- 
fore she has requested me to carry out her 
wishes, and also to copyright the whole of her 
writings in my own name, believing they will 
serve the use for which they were written in 
the future, niore than to-day. 

Henry Wagner, M. D. 



PREFACE. 



The object of the following Argument is to 
establish what is commonly regarded as purely 
physical health upon a purely psychical basis ; to 
show that Health is knowledge, , wisdom, in- 
sight; that men suffer from so-called purely 
corporeal diseases only because they form er- 
roneous judgments; also, to show that the fun- 
damental erroneous judgment is, that there is 
any such thing in the Universe as Physical 
Causation, a belief in which leads both directly 
and indirectly to disease. Often directly in the 
case of the individual, but more commonly in- 
directly as a race-belief held throughout the 
known history of mankind. 

The practical outcome of such a doctrine of 
Health would be its teachableness. Health 



IV PREFACE. 

would then be something universally human, 
something every one could acquire through in- 
struction and practice. 

This was the Socratic doctrine of Virtue: 
Socrates taught : *"Men act wrongly only be- 
cause they form erroneous judgments." He 
thus "Laid the foundation stone for a scientific 
treatment of Ethics, a treatment which must be 
dated from him." , 

In attempting to establish this doctrine of 
Health, our aim has been to show that it is a 
direct implication and strict logical deduction 
of Theistic or Spiritual Philosophy. 

*Schwegler's History of Philosophy, page 76. 



CONTENTS. 



PAGE 

INTRODUCTION. . . . i 

Freedom as a postulate of Morals, Intellect 
and Health, p. I. — Health explained as 
a result of Mechanism leads to Material- 
ism, p. 2. — Evil and Disease both results 
of erroneous judgment, and erroneous 
judgment implies Freedom, p. 3. — Defi- 
nition of Freedom, p. 3. — Results of the 
possibility of affirming and believing a 
lie illustrated, p. 4. — Disease a result of 
this possibility, consequently Health is 
Knowledge and Wisdom, p. 5. — Physi- 
cal Causation the erroneous judgment 
which results in Disease, and which The- 
istic philosophy cannot affirm without 



VI CONTENTS. 



violating the law of Contradictories, 
P- 5- 



PART I. 
REALITY. 

AN OUTLINE STATEMENT OF HOW ALL RE- 
ALITY IS TO BE REGARDED 7 

Infinite Mind, p. 7. — Infinite Thoughts, p.- 
8. — Ideals, p. 8. — Ideals realized in Act, 
p. 11. — Line of Reality, p. 13. 



PART II. 

POLAR OPPOSITES. . . 14 

Definition, p. 14 — Thought and Symbol, p. 

14 — Unity and Multiplicity, p. 15 — ■ 

Identity and Diversity, p. 15 — Being 

and Attributes, p. 16 — Abstraction, p. 

17 — Personification, p. 18. 



CONTENTS. Vll 

PART III. 

CONTRADICTORIES. 

LAW OF CONTRADICTORIES. . . 20 

Results of the Violation of this Law, upon 
Intellectual Life, p. 21. — Morals, p. 23. 
— Health, p. 25. — True Definition of 
Cause, p. 28. — Exposition of how the 
erroneous judgment of Physical Causa- 
tion manifests itself upon the Body, p. 
31. — Eternal Life and Heaven, p. 33. 

CONCLUSION 34 

The use of Contradictories in our Mental 
Activities, p. 34. — The Touchstone for 
Truth, p. 35. — The Principle according 
to which all Ideas must be worked out. 



PERSONIFIED UNTHINKABLES. 

INTRODUCTION. 

It is certainly a self-evident proposition that 
actions can have moral quality only on a sup- 
position of freedom. 

It is also equally certain (though perhaps 
not so self-evident) that * freedom is an abso- 
lutely necessary postulate of intelligence; for 
without the power of choosing an end or law 
and governing one's self accordingly, there 
could be no intellectual life. 

But that health — so called physical health — 
is possible only through the fact of freedom, 
will probably, appear to most minds as a self- 
evident absurdity. 

The connection between Body, Intellect and^ 



*Bowne ? s Metaphysics, pages 168 and 169. 



X INTRODUCTION. 

Morals, no one denies. But it has been gener- 
ly accepted on the authority of materialistic sci- 
ence. 

Physiology measures out our intellectual life 
for us, and even goes so far as to decide the ex- 
tent of moral responsibility from the structure 
of the brain. While the thorough-going Mater- 
ialist affirms that the Mechanism is sufficient to 
explain all the phenomena of Will, even 
going so far as to calmly suggest as a recent 
^writer does, that desire for suicide, for immor- 
tality, annihilation, etc., are severally the neces- 
sary result of the state of the body in which the 
individual had no choosing. 

This pushes the whole subject to an issue on 
the question of free will. 

The moralist and intellectualist can no lon- 
ger assert Freedom, while they leave Health to 
be explained by the mechanism; for they are 



^laudsley's "Body and Willy page 82. 



Introduction. xi 

thus still at the mercy of the materialist. 

Philosophy, both Ethical and Theistic, in 
defending itself against materialism, has quite 
overlooked this fact. 

Health has been recognized only as an im- 
portant conditioning physical fact. But a spir- 
itual philosophy, (whether it be Idealism or 
Phenomenalism), which regards physical man- 
ifestations as entirely, or in any degree a product 
or effect of Mind, must no longer theoretically 
or practically exempt Body. 

Body in all its varying manifestations must 
be effect or result of Thought. 

The basis of Health must be wholly mental, 
and it follows directly from this that the basis 
of Disease must likewise be wholly mental. 

Disease and Evil must both be the direct 
did indirect results of an erroneous judgement. 
Here the materialist would stoutly affirm that 
che erroneous judgement was the necessary re- 



Xll INTRODUCTION. 

suit of the state of the body, in which the indi- 
vidual had no choosing. 

And here the spiritual philosopher must as 
stoutly affirm th$t all so-called diseases of 
Body are simply effects of a mental cause, the 
necessary result of an error of reason, and that 
mind does have the power of correcting its own 
mistakes of judgment. 

But the possibility of forming an erroneous 
judgment, and the power of correcting it, both 
imply Freedom. 

The fact of Freedom does not by any manner 
of means make an ignorant man learned by the 
simple choosing. 

It does not make an evil man virtuous, with- 
out some effort on his part; nor does it lift the 
sick man from his bed, to simply choose to be 
well. 

But when reason tells me that two plus two 
equals four, if I choose to turn round and say 



INTRODUCTION. Xlll 

perhaps after all two plus two equals five, I ex- 
ercise my freedom in the matter. I do not alter 
the Truth, but as far as the moral or physical 
effects upon myself are concerned I can change 
results. I can realize the Truth, or I can realize 
the effects of a denial of the Truth. 

By Freedom, either for the individual or the 
race, is simply meant a power to choose some 
Truth or its Contradictory ; some Reality or its 
opposite Nothingness, and to regulate one's self 
accordingly. 

If any one should affirm that effects could 
exist without any cause whatsoever, he would 
but illustrate the possibility of saying a thing 
was so, when it was not so. 

Further, if any one should accept this state- 
ment as so, which was not so, and should regu- 
late his actions accordingly he would certainly 
realize results in accordance with his erroneous 
judgment. 



XIV INTRODUCTION. 

Now the Reality of a feeling consists in being 
felt. . Yet the foundation of the feeling may be 
perfectly false. The feeling may be wholly the 
result of the possibility of saying a thing is so 
when it is not so. 

Thus persons have been known to lose the 
power of speech and motion, to fall fainting and 
lifeless even, upon a false alarm of fire in a 
building. 

No fire at all ; still the feeling of fear and its 
results upon the body were real enough while 
they lasted. 

All these results were from a belief in a lie. 

But if mind is endowed with trustworthy 
faculties for ascertaining the truth or falsity of 
a report, and mind does not choose to exercise 
them, is not that mind in a measure responsible 
for its own sufferings? 

A different state of mind would certainly 
change results completely. 



INTRODUCTION. XV 

The same person who falls imbecile or life- 
less, upon a false alarm of fire, if inspired by per- 
fect fearlessness, or a touch of heroism, could 
pass unharmed through raging flames. 

Now if a person chooses to believe a false 
alarm of fire, that does not make a fire, when 
there is none. It does not make a Reality out 
of Nothing. Such persons only change results 
as far as they themselves are concerned. 

If then all the Reality, commonly called 
purely corporeal diseases, possess, can be shown 
to be the result of the possibility of saying, or 
believing a thing is so when it is not so, that 
would establish Disease to be the result of an 
erroneous judgment; and since the possibility 
of forming an erroneous judgment implies.* 
(i) Freedom; (2) that there is absolute truth 
of Reason, — that would also at the same time 
establish health to be wisdom, knowledge, 



*Bowne's Metaphysics, page 168. 



XVI INTRODUCTION. 

insight. Thus would our new Doctrine of 
Health be demonstrated. For Health would 
be Wisdom if Disease was lack of Wisdom. 

Now if Physical Causation is as false as a 
false alarm of fire, any one who affirms Physical 
Causation but illustrates the possibility of say- 
ing a thing is so when it is not so. 

If the individual or the race accept Physical 
Causation as true and regulate themselves ac- 
cordingly, they are certain to realize Results 
in accordance with the erroneous judgment of 
Physical Causation. 

In Logic the Law of Contradictories is called 
a fundamental Lazv of thought. According to 
this Law, "One of two contradictories must be 
affirmed." It would, for example, be a viola- 
tion of this Law to affirm, that all right angles 
are equal, and at the same time assert that some 
right angles were larger than others. 

Our aim is to deduce this doctrine of Health 



? INTRODUCTION. XV11 

from Theistic or Spiritual Philosophy; and to 
point out that Theistic Philosophy cannot af- 
firm Physical Causation, even in the case of so- 
called purely corporeal diseases, without a self- 
evident violation of the Law of Contradictories. 



PART I. 

REALITY. 



AN OUTLINE STATEMENT OF HOW ALL REALITY 
IS TO BE REGARDED. 

The Absolute; the Unknowable; the Infinite 
Essence ; First Cause, etc., are some of the fash- 
ionable terms employed to denote our concept 
of the Supreme Reality of the Universe. 

They have the praiseworthy quality of being 
quite unpicturable ; but their unpicturability re- 
sults rather more from their lack of meaning 
than anything else. 

The terms Being, Reality, Infinite, etc., are 
logical abstractions in themselves, and have no 
real meaning apart from some active agent. 
But in that connection they do have meaning. 

Our highest conception of an active agent is 
the conscious ego, or Mind. 



20 Esoteric Lessons. 

Now there is certainly nothing in the Uni- 
verse so utterly unpicturable as Mind. What 
possible picture can one form of the part of him 
which reasons, reflects, gives judgments, forms 
decisions, etc. ? 

Besides being unpicturable, the term Mind 
stands for the most definite, vivid and self-evi- 
dent fact of consciousness. 

Therefore Mind, our highest, most real, defi- 
nite and knowable term for a Unitary Active 
Agent, we adopt for the present purpose, as the 
Source of all Reality in the Universe. In- 
finite Mind! 

It is impossible to conceive of a mind without 
thoughts. 

On the other hand, thoughts have no inde- 
pendent existence by themselves. They are not 
a community loafing around waiting for some 
Mind to think them. Neither are thoughts, 
mind, nor mind, thoughts. There is an ulti- 



Personified Un think able s. 21 

mate dualism between the two. They can never 
lose their identity and change, the one to the 
other. 

Yet mind implies thoughts. They cannot 
exist apart. They are therefore what may be 
called Real or Polar Opposites. They mu- 
tually imply each other. 

Thought, or product of mind, regarded by it- 
self is quite as unpicturable as mind. However, 
in connection with thought, occurs a phenome- 
non, the importance and significance of which, 
in all its bearings, perhaps, has not been suffi- 
ciently regarded by philosophy and psychology, 
viz : — 

For every thought there is an accompanying 
mental picture of some kind. If the thing itself 
cannot be pictured, there will still be an accom- 
panying mental picture of some manifestation 
or appearance of the thing. 

If the idea triangle is called to mind, one can- 



22 Esoteric Lessons. 

not think of it without seeing in his "mind's 
eye" a figure with three sides. One cannot re- 
flect upon so-called general ideas without a 
mental picture. Take e. g. the general term 
Animal. We find at once an accompanying 
mental picture of some individual included un- 
der the class, animal ; e. g\, a dog or lion, etc. 

Neither can one consider ideas regarded ab- 
stractly, such as, Life, Love or Virtue, without 
some object possessing Life, Love or Virtue, 
picturing itself to the mind. 

Furthermore these mental pictures either, 
(i) correspond to. previous sensations derived 
from phenomena or visible universe, or (2) 
they are original constructions made up out of 
previous sensations by means of association, 
comparison, etc. 

Mental pictures are therefore, ( 1 ) the mind's 
symbols for objective phenomena, and (2) they 
are representations of the activities — the work- 
ing over processes of intellect. 



Personified Unthinkables. 23 

The first class, the finite ego, refers to some 
other agent than itself as cause, but the second 
it claims as its own construction. 

Its images, or ideals, the finite mind is in- 
stinctively impelled to put in some* form recog- 
nizable to the senses. 

To the Artist, the Poet, the Author, we ac- 
cord our highest praise and admiration in pro- 
portion as they succeed in creating the most 
perfect form or expression for their ideals. 

Mental images are then the mediation be- 
tween unpicturable thought, and a representa- 
tion to the senses, of thought. 

They are the purely mental expression for 
the thoughts which the Artist puts on canvas, 
the Poet and the Author into form for eye and 
ear. 

The creative faculty we regard as the high- 
est mark of genius in finite mind. 

But in the real, the ontological sense of the 



24 Esoteric Lessons. 

word Infinite Mind, is the only Creator. 
It is also, in the true sense of the word, the 
Only Mind in the Universe. 

The finite mind stands in the relation of 
Thought to this One Great Mind. 

( i . ) Thoughts can never be the mind which 
thinks them. (2.) Again the sum of all the 
thoughts of Infinite Mind can never equal 
the One Mind. (3.) Again thought has no 
independent existence apart from mind. 
Therefore : ( 1.) Man can never be God. (2.) 
All mankind together can never equal God. 
(3.) Man is an utter unthinkability apart from 
God. 

For every thought of Infinite Mind, there 
exists, so to speak, an accompanying mental pic- 
ture, type or ideal. These types or ideals, the 
Idealist regards as the reality of Phenomena, 
or visible Universe. 

Here the Idealists divide into two classes. 



Personified Unthinkables. 25 

Neither class denies that there is objective 
reality. 

* "Berkley affirmed an objective and 
spiritual ground of our sensations as an abso- 
lute necessity of thought. He questioned only 
the external existence of the object in percep- 
tion, and reduced it to an effect in us." 

The other class regards the mental ideal or 
type as the reality of phenomena but also hold 
as Leibnitz did, that visible universe is a cre- 
ative act. It is the ideal of thought realized in 
act. 

Since whichever class may have the truth of 
the matter does not to any extent affect the 
present argument, visible universe is regarded 
as a Creation for the realization of a purpose; 
also as an expression of an ideal, just as an 
artist seeks to represent his ideals of thought. 



^Bowne's Metaphysics, page 451. 



26 Esoteric Lessons. 

But for all that, phenomenon is only an ap- 
pearance. It has no more substance in it than 
the vivid reflections thrown upon a screen or 
wall by the magic lantern, which presents to 
the eye a perfect, beautiful and certainly a most 
real appearance. 

Just as every minutest detail of the brilliant 
picture on the wall corresponds to a small 
transparency within the lantern, just so phe- 
nomenon is the reflection of an ideal of Infinite 
Mind. 

The reflection of a thought has no substance, 
(the words substance and matter ought to be 
annihilated) but it has reality. 

Just as all the reality the reflection on the 
screen possesses is derived from the magic lan- 
tern, just so all the Reality of visible universe 
is derived from Infinite Mind consists in its 
purely mental quality. 

Therefore as an act of Infinite Mind the re- 



Personified Unthinkables. 27 

flection of a thought is real. For all the Divine 
doing is Real. 

And all the Divine doing is perfect, beauti- 
ful, harmonious ; perfect in Order, Health and 
Happiness. Whatever other appearance man 
may imagine he sees there is an entirely gratui- 
tous contribution on his part. An example of 
the exercise of his freedom to form erroneous 
judgments, whereby he does not alter Truth 
or Reality; but merely as far as he himself is 
concerned, changes results. 

All the Reality, then, in the Universe, is to 
be regarded as in a direct line from One Source. 
Also in a regular grade of order which can- 
not be reversed or worked backwards any more 
than, in the case of the magic lantern, the re- 
flection can be the cause of the transparencies, 
or lenses — or again the transparencies or lenses 
can be the cause of the light in the lantern. 



28 Esoteric Lessons. 

LINE OF REALITY, 
i. Infifite Mind. 

2. Infinite Thoughts. 

3. Infinite Ideals of InfiniteThoughts. 

4. Infinite Expressions, or Ideals Re- 
alized in Act ; — Visible Universe. 



PART II. 

POLAR OPPOSITES. 



REAL OR POLAR OPPOSITES. 

Infinite Mind. 
Infinite Thoughts. 

( Thought — Symbols. 

< Unity —Multiplicity 

( Identity — Diversity. 

j Being. 

I Attributes. 

Real or Polar Opposites are necessarily 
reciprocal. They do not exclude, but mutually 
imply each other. *They are utterly meaning- 
less apart. One cannot exist without the other. 



*Cocker's Handbook of Philosophy, Divis- 
ion i, p. 177. 



30 ^ Esoteric Lessons. 

( i . ) Thought and symbol are Polar Opposites 
just as much as Mind and Thoughts. They 
have no existence apart. Mind cannot think a 
thought without sign or symbol of some kind. 
The Thought for which mind has no mental 
conception, is perfectly meaningless. Mind 
has not thought it. If the senses have never 
given the symbol which mind has translated 
into the idea Triangle, or if Mind has never 
constructed it out of its previous sensation of 
lines and angles, that mind has never thought 
the idea Triangle. 

(2.) The same thought may be expressed in 
a multiplicity of ways, as e. g. the idea Castle 
may be expressed by a zvord spoken or written, 
— by the architect on paper, by the mechanic 
in brick or stone, or by the artist on canvas, 
etc. 

The Thought never loses its Unify, no matter 
how numerous the forms which represent it. 



Personified Unthinkables. 31 

(3.) Again, the idea Cube never changes to 
the idea Cylinder ; nor the idea Cylinder to the 
idea Sphere. Yet the form which expresses 
the idea cube assumes the exact appearance of 
the form cylinder by simply revolving the cube 
(suspended at the center of one of its sides), 
and a perfect sphere is produced as far as the 
sense of sight can inform us by rotating the 
cylinder (suspended at the center by its round 
side.*) 

Throughout the phenomenal universe, the 
idea remains forever the same. The idea solid 
does not change to the idea liquid nor the idea 
liquid into the the idea vapor. Yet the appear- 
ance, or expression for the idea may change 
from one to the other right before our eyes, as 
in the case of water. 



*Froebel's Kindergarten System. — The Sec- 
ond Gift. 



32 Esoteric Lessons. 

We cannot therefore affirm identity of phe- 
nomena. When we change ice into steam and 
then back into ice again, we cannot affirm that 
w r e have the same piece of ice with which we 
started. But thought can never lose its identity 
nor its unity, nor cease to exist as long as mind 
exists to think it. Therefore this Thought of 
Infinite Mind which you and I represent can- 
not cease to exist, nor lose its unity nor its 
identity any more than Infinite Mind can cease 
to exist, since Mind and Thoughts imply each 
other. Further, since Thought and Symbol are 
likewise polar opposites which imply each other, 
we shall always have expression or body of 
some kind or other. 

Phenomenal universe of some kind must al- 
ways exist, as long as Infinite Mind exists. 
We cannot blot out one and leave the other any 
more than by rubbing the vivid reflections 
thrown upon the wall by the magic lantern, we 



Personified Unthinkables. 33 

can erase the picture while the lantern con- 
tinues to burn. Or any more than we can put 
the lantern out and still have our picture left 
on the wall. 

(4.) Pure or Absolute Being apart from At- 
tributes is quite as unthinkable as Mind with- 
out Thoughts. Life, Truth, Virtue, in the ab- 
stract, are quite as meaningless and absurd as 
it. would be to talk about a smile or a grin in 
the abstract, floating round in the air, or which 
no one had ever smiled or grinned. 

* Abstraction, however, is the first act or 
condition in knowledge. It is the withdrawal 
of attention to a part. 

We have seen that all Reality was to be re- 
garded as in a direct line and order from the 
same Source. But the whole process of knowl- 



*Cocker's Handbook of Philosophy, Divis- 
ion 1, p. 169. 



34 Esoteric Lessons. 

edge, however, follows along the reversed line; 
and thus (as we shall see) with Abstraction, 
or the first step in knowledge, has occurred 
Personification, or the fundamental error. 

Attention (abstraction) is first directed to 
Phenomena. Sensations are mental transla- 
tions of Phenomena. Sensations, again, are 
not entities. They are only Sensations as they 
are thought by mind; only as they are an act 
of the conscious ego. There are two ways, 
however, of regarding this one act. At the 
same time the ego recognizes its sensations as 
its own, it also recognizes that the sensations 
stand for something not its own; and thus ar- 
rives at phenomena. Here it observes most 
wonderful manifestations of power, law, truth, 
life, etc., etc., and is impressed with overwhelm- 
ing Reality. Thus it is led to personify Nature, 
or endow Phenomena with independent Real- 
ity ; not realizing the fact that Visible Universe 



Personified Unthinkables. 35 

is purely a mental expression of Thought, that 
if Infinite Mind could cease to exist, all the 
appearances which seem so vast and everlast- 
ing, would vanish like a bubble without leav- 
ing the shadow of a dream behind. 

The ego having personified Nature, when it 
arrives at some knowledge of Infinite Mind 
has two opposing Realities in the universe — 
Mind and Matter — or if it has personified the 
various Laws, Forces, etc., which it abstracted 
on its way, it already has a host of Divinities. 

Personification, then, is the fundamental lie, 
which has attended abstraction, — the first step 
in knowledge. 

Personification is from persona, the Latin 
word for a mask ; and obtained its present sig- 
nificance from the fact that Actors were in the 
habit of wearing masks in the plays. That is, 
by means of masks they assumed to be per- 
sonages they were not. 



36 Esoteric Lessons. 

^ 

So the ego in turning its attention to phe- 
nomena, endowed the manifestations of Real- 
ity, with an independent existence and Reality 
which they do not possess. And thus counted 
the mask, (the appearance), for One, as well 
as the Actor, One, quite overlooking the fact 
that the Actor, and the character he personates, 
cannot count as Two distinct individuals. 

When the ego comes to explain Body and 
Soul as the union of mind and matter, it has 
two irreconcilable forces. In proportion as 
matter is allowed dominion, Intellect and 
Morals are Slaves, until in a final struggle for 
consistency, Matter is declared Omnipotent! 
Mind is but reflection, expression of Matter. 
Mechanism is fully competent to explain all 
appearance or phenomena of mind. 

Sensations are all. 

John Stuart Mill asserts that, *"In the lan- 



* "Logic," ch. III. § 3. 



Personified Unthinkables. 37 

guage of philosophy, feelings and states of con- 
sciousness are synonymous; everything is a 
feeling of which the mind is conscious. " 

Although Mr. Mill establishes a scale of 
rank in feelings, yet such statements reduced 
to their lowest terms degrade Philosophy to 
some such gibberish as the following: — Algo 
ten kephaten; ergo sum. — I suffer a headache; 
therefore I exist. The Greek and Latin give 
an appearance of learing, but looking behind 
the Mask, at the content of the sentence, every 
healthy mind is instinctively impelled in the 
name of Phiosophy to sledge-hammer it as a 
lie, and then start out once more with that lofty 
assertion of Des Cartes, "I think, therefore I 
exist/' And I exist, because Infinite Mind 
Thinks. And I have no existence apart from 
Infinite Mind. In that sense, "I and the Father 
are One." 

The Law of Polar Opposites is the most 



38 Esoteric Lessons. 

fundamental law in the universe ; and Personi- 
fication is a direct and stupid violation of that 
law. Personification is Idolatry.** 



*Book of Exodus, Chap. XX, verses 3 to 7. 



PART III. 

CONTRADICTORIES. 



Truth. 


Falsity. 


Virtue. 


Evil. 


Health. 


Disease. 


Life. 


Death. 



The Law of Contradictories is a funda- 
mental Law of Thought. According to this 
law, "One of two contradictories must be af- 
firmed." 

All Contradictories of universal, necessary 
and absolute Truth are impossible;* and Un- 
thinkable. 



*Cocker's Handbook of Philosophy, Divis- 
ion i, p. i. 



40 Esoteric Lessons. 

On the opposite side of the great principles 
of Truth, Virtue, Health, Life, etc., the ego 
beholds another set of appearances which it 
also at once proceeds to personify, to establish 
as realities, viz. : Falsity, Evil, Disease and 
Death, until, however, gradually coming to 
comprehend there can be no such thing as at- 
tributes apart from Being, that Truth, Virtue, 
Health and Life, etc., are meaningless abstrac- 
tions by themselves, it is confronted by the 
monstrous paralogism of affirming that if 
Falsity, Disease, Evil and Death are also At- 
tributes of Being, are Realities, just as much 
as Truth, Virtue, Health and Life are Reali- 
ties, then Falsity, Evil, Disease and Death, and 
Being are necessarily reciprocal. They do not 
exclude, but mutually imply each other. 

Infinite Mind, and Falsity, Evil, Disease, 
and Death are utterly meaningless apart ; one 
cannot exist without the other ! And thus to 



Personified Unthinkables. 41 

avoid the revolting necessity of making the In- 
finite the Father of Lies, another (Personage) 
mask is introduced into the Universe to father 
this new set of Realities. A necessity which 
might have been wholly obviated by the cor- 
rection of the very simple blunder in the prem- 
ises, viz. : — that Falsity, Evil, Disease, and 
Death are not polar opposites of Being at all, 
they are the purely Verbal Opposites, or Con- 
tradictories of the Attributes of Being. 

What rational ground is there, then, for af- 
firming them to be Realities, or the Attributes 
of Being? Is it not, on the other hand, a direct 
violation of the law of Contradictories to do 
so? 

If we affirm the proposition; some right 
angles are larger than others, to be equally true 
with the proposition, all right angles are equal, 
we at once introduce confusion and chaos not 
only into mathematics, but also into Astron- 



42 Esoteric Lessons. 

omy, Physics, or, in short all the Arts and 

Sciences depending on mathematics. So long 
as we maintain that single Falsity to be a Real- 
ity, just so long would we remain in the densest 
ignorance on all these subjects. We would not 
alter the Truth, but only as far as we our- 
selves are concerned, we would change results. 
Whether we will or no, we cannot possibly 
affirm both of two Contradictories. It we hold 
fast to one, we lose the other. And we must 

affirm Truth and deny its verbal opposite as 
an absolute Unthinkable, in order to make 

the slightest advance in knowledge. 

Now since all the Contradictories of uni- 
versal, necessary and absolute Truth are im- 
possible, are Unthinkables, we must either af- 
firm Truth, Virtue, Health (from Anglo- 
Saxon hal, Whole), Life, Love, etc., to be 
universal, necessary and absolute Truths, and 
their contradictories unthinkables, or else we 



Personified Unthinkables. 43 

must affirm Falsity, Evil, Disease, Death, Hate, 
etc., to be universal, necessary and absolute 
truths and their contradictories unthinkables. 
A conclusion which the consistent Materialist 
accepts either openly or else practically. But a 
conclusion the Spiritual Philosopher cannot ac- 
cept without a most flagrant violation of the 
Law of Contradictories. 

But here the ego immediately inquires : 
How, then, come these appearances which seem 
so real; take, e. g., the manifestations of Evil, 
the contradictory of Virtue ? 

Here, however, a moment's reflection con- 
vinces us, this class of manifestations we uni- 
versally regard as results. Moral quality is 
never affirmed of results, but of the thought 
which actuated the results. To remove the re- 
sults in no way affects the guilt of the Thought. 

But again the ego questions : Why is not 
the erroneous judgment back of the results of 



44 Esoteric Lessons. 

Evil, as evidently unthinkable as the statement, 
some right angles are larger than others ? 

The answer is plain enough. It is purely a 
matter of insight, of education. 

The race has been so accustomed to accept 
truth from authority instead of reason, that 
with most minds a college degree will outweigh 
any logical demonstration. 

It is an erroneous judgment that self inter- 
est or happiness ever in any way conflict with 
Virtue. 

On the contrary, the welfare and happiness 
of the individual, and of the race depend un- 
conditionally upon Virtue. 

It is just as untrue that a man is the slave of 
his senses, as that some right angles are larger 
than others. But, just as surely as a man comes 
to the conclusion that his senses rule him, or 
were given for personal gratification, just so 
surely the physical, or phenomenal results of 



Personified Unthinkables. 45 

such a decision begin to manifest themselves. 
And since Intellect and the Senses meet 
through the imagining faculty, Intellect hav- 
ing accepted the unthinkable, the impossible 
for Truth, for Reality, Imagination proceeds 
to portray these Unthinkables to the senses. 
And all the acts of that man thereafter are re- 
sults of that one mental error. 

But, right here must be noticed an important 
and undeniable fact, viz. : The whole physical 
organization also responds to the mental error. 
A momentary thought of sensuality, avarice, 
or revenge, distorts the face, impairs respira- 
tion, retards or quickens the circulation, ^and 
goes tingling through every nerve and fibre of 
the body. But if long enough continued it re- 
sults in either Disease of some form, or perma- 
nent deformity of the features, if not of the 
whole body, or both. 

Very many forms of Disease are well known 



46 Esoteric Lessons. 

to be the results of immorality, and conse- 
quently purely mental origin. Yet it never 
seems to strike one as at all absurd to physic 
a man for Avarice, or Revenge. On the con- 
trary it is taken for granted as the proper thing 
to do. Still the person who should undertake 
to remove an ugly image reflected on a wall 
by a magic lantern, with a coat of whitewash, 
would in all probability be regarded, either as 
non compos mentis, or, as a very great ig- 
noramus. No matter how much one may try 
to ignore the fact, or cheat the senses, by hang- 
ing a dark curtain over the ugly picture, yet 
Reason will insist that the reflection is still 
there as long as the lantern remains intact; 
and that you have only to lift the dark curtain 
to be again confronted by the unseemly reflec- 
tion. There is but one way to remove it from 
the wall, and that must be done by a change in- 
side the Lantern. 



Personified Unthinkables. 47 

In like manner as long as the mental image 
for an unthinkable is held in the mind, just so 
long- will the immoral results continue to mani- 
fest themselves. 

But, just as surely as the erroneous judgment 
is corrected, all the results of the personified 
unthinkable will be replaced by manifestations 
of Truth, Pure living, and High thinking. 

The complete reformation of an immoral 
man would not then be the miracle it now is, if 
physical causation were seen to be as utterly 
unthinkable, as for the Reflections of the magic 
lantern to be the Cause of the image they re- 
flect. 

But such results are impossible on a basis of 
physical necessity, and, moreover, as long as 
physical causation is allowed in the slightest 
degree, Morals are at the mercy of Chance. 
For a man may be free one moment but neces- 
sitated the next. Or again one man might be 



48 Esoteric Lessons. 

entirely free under circumstances which would 
render another wholly necessitated. 

The fundamental lie, then, which opens the 
door to evil and which continues to hold it open 
is physical causation, or allowing the senses 
dictatorship. The office of the Senses is solely 
to report phenomena. Reason translates it into 
Knowledge. The Senses should give us neither 
pleasure nor pain. Either pleasure or pain de- 
notes perversion of their use. In their office 
they should be as sensationless and unconscious 
as perfect digestion. The pleasure derived from 
the harmony of color or sound, or proportion 
should be wholly intellectual. Pain should be 
the revolt of the intellect against an untruth. 
For discord and inharmony are but expressions 
for a lie ! 

Pleasure and Pain are both results of the 
erroneous judgment of Physical Causation, for 
Physical Causation is as absolutely unthink- 



Personified Unthinkables. 49 

able as it would be for the reflections of the 
magic lantern to be the Cause of the Reality 
they reflect; or, for Thoughts to be the Cause 
of the Ego or Mind which thinks them. 

This conclusion, however, being thoroughly 
contrary to established belief will not be readily 
accepted in the case of so-called purely physical 
Disease. For although mental and moral cau- 
sation is generally conceded for a large class 
of bodily maladies, yet physical causation is in- 
sisted upon for a large proportion. 

Feuchtersleben says : "The operations of body 
and mind meet in the fancy (or imagination) 
as in a punctum saliens; it is only through the 
imagination that they act and re-act together. 
Thought without an image cannot become dis- 
eased; nor can sensations without imagination 
become psychically diseased. Below imagina- 
tion we find affections of the sensor and motor 
nerves which remain purely corporeal diseases 



50 Esoteric Lessons. 

so long as they do not encroach upon her do- 
main."* 

But how can they become diseased and not 
encroach upon her domain ? For all our knowl- 
edge and experience of sensor and motor nerves 
is derived wholly from their diseased condition. 
Xo one would ever have known of nerves from 
their healthy condition. They never report 
themselves. But having become disordered 
they do report themselves ; and the report must 
of necessity be made through the imagining 
faculty. There is no other way. The only 
point which remains then, to consider, is 
whether sensor and motor nerves get out of 
order themselves, or by some misuse on the 
part of the ego. If then, diseased conditions 
of sensor or motor nerves can be shown to be 
results of erroneous judgment, there certainly 



'Medical Psychology, pp. 241-242. 



Personified Unthinkables. 51 

need no longer be any reason for the Spiritual- 
istic Philosopher to violate the Law of Contra- 
dictories, even to the extent of affirming Physi- 
cal Causation in the solitary case of sensor and 
motor nerves. 

The true definition of Cause is : "Whatso- 
ever Will, does or Did Do."* Throughout 
the phenomenal Universe we observe only an 
orderly succession of events, never Cause. 
Our only experience of cause is when phenom- 
ena is modified through human agency or de- 
sign. Thus man can combine Hydrogen and 
Oxygen in the proportion of two volumes of 
H to one of O and produce the result H2O, 
or Water, through his own design and agency. 
But at the same time he is conscious that he is 
not the author of the immutable principle nec- 
essary to the combination, and instinctively 



*Chas. De Medici, Commensuration, p. 12. 



52 Esoteric Lessons. 

concludes to a Supreme Cause or Will, as an 
ultimate ground of all the orderly succession of 
events observable in the Universe. The finite 
ego is the immediate or efficient cause of change 
or modification of phenomena observable about 
us in human life. While the Infinite is the ulti- 
mate Cause of the immutable principles back of 
Visible Universe. Reason can never be satis- 
fied with any causation apart from Will. Es- 
pecially since it must necessarily result so dis- 
astrously to Intellect and Morals. 

Simply because the senses report certain ap- 
pearances followed by suffering and disorder of 
the Organism, which interfere with the func- 
tions of body and mind is not sufficient, reason 
for affirming Physical Causation in the case of 
purely corporeal Diseases. For, why should 
Reason allow the Senses to be competent to 
furnish the truth in this one case, while in every 
other the Senses but furnish the data which 



Personified Unthinkables. 53 

Reason alone is competent to work over into 
knowledge? The Senses would at this very 
moment, (if they were consulted), insist that 
the Earth is stationary; and deny point blank 
the fact that the earth is whirling through 
Space, in its Orbit, at the rate of 68,288 miles 
an hour. 

If then a perfectly satisfactory explanation 
of all so-called purely corporeal diseases can 
be given by assuming physical causation to be 
the erroneous judgment which results, either 
directly or indirectly in corporeal diseases, 
Reason is bound to accept it, since it would thus 
forever dispose of both Physical Causation and 
Corporeal Disease by effectully knocking their 
heads together. 

(1.) A belief in physical causation produces 
Fear, and Fear acts both directly and indirectly 
upon the body. Often immediately upon the 
sensor and motor nerves in like manner as was 



54 Esoteric Lessons. 

seen in the illustration of the immediate results 
of Avarice and Revenge upon sensor and motor 
nerves; or in the case of the results observed 
upon a belief in a false alarm of fire. It would 
be impossible to dismay that mind which was 
in conscious possession of its perfect ability to 
subdue the fire, or else to escape from the flames 
uninjured. Especially if the consciousness of 
perfect ability was based upon the knowledge 
that the only conceivable danger would result 
from Fear. Just so perfect fearlessness has 
carried many untouched through the most vio- 
lent contagions of cholera, small-pox, yellow 
fever, etc. 

(2.) Fear is also the remote, or (latent) 
cause of disease, as a race belief held through- 
out the whole history of mankind. It is the 
open door through which the Enemy can at 
any moment rush in and bind the strong man. 
It is co-existent with the first Personified Ab- 



Personified Unthinkables. 55 

straction, or the lie of an independent Reality 
apart from and hostile to Mind. Observe the 
"Fossil history' to be seen in the formation of 
the two words Health and Disease. Dis-ease 
is the lack of ease immediately resulting from 
the erroneous conceptions of an independent 
Health (anglo-saxon Hal. Whole!) Whole- 
ness apart from Infinite Mind. 

This one lie lurks behind a million different 
Masks, which pass for so many different en- 
tities and Realities. Every scientifically la- 
belled Disease with its various attending symp- 
toms minutely and vividly pictured out to the 
senses is a Mask. The Lie and its masks are 
Personae" of a Stupendous Masquerade under 
Personified Unthinkables. The "Dramatis 
the auspices of Materialism, and the stage man- 
agement of Physical Causation. An High 
Carnival which might be sufficiently entertain- 
ing but for the fact that its swift and inevitable 



56 Esoteric Lessons. 

termination in that woeful Tragedy of Er- 
rors — the Errors of Falsity, Evil, Disease and 
Death, touches a chord which vibrates in every 

Here the ego insists upon an answer to the 
human heart. 

question : Hozv is it possible for a lie or an un- 
thinkable to be expressed upon the body? But 
one answer is possible. It is manifested on the 
same principle as all Thought in the Universe; 
that grand principle according to which all 
Reality is manifested ; the immutable princi- 
ple of which the finite is not the author and 
which it cannot alter, although it may deny. 
But if it denies, it reaps the results of the de- 
nial worked out on the very principle which it 
denies. 

One can write out on a black-board the state- 
ment for the unthinkable two plus two equals 
five; he, there, has a manifestation of a lie. If 
he affirm the lie to be true and on the strength 



Personified Unthinkables. 57 

of the affirmation gets $5 out of his neighbor 
instead of $4 there are immediately, immoral 
results from the lie. 

Now, Rheumatism or Pneumonia, etc., are 
Verbal expressions for unthinkables just as 
two plus two equals five is a verbal expression 
for a lie. By means of the picturing faculty, 
both of the individual and of those about him, 
the outward manifestation of the unthinkable 
will express itself upon the body just as surely 
as the magic lantern will reflect the picture in- 
serted between the light and the lenses when the 
proper conditions are met. 

This explanation reduces all physical phe- 
nomena in the Universe to the manifestation 
of Thought and removes the contradictory 
from the philosophy which affirms man to be 
the union of mind and matter, and the erro- 
neous judgment that Soul and body interact. 
Will is the only Cause in the Universe of 



58 Esoteric Lessons. 

which we have any knowledge or experience. 
That Will modifies, changes and controls the 
physical is our hourly and daily experience. 
But how matter, even in the form of sensor and 
motor nerves can change itself into sensations 
transcends all experience. On the other hand, 
mind can locate sensations in any part of the 
body at will. Thus cases are common (quite 
too common) where from the simple trimming 
of the finger nails some persons actuallv suffer 
more than others would from cutting into the 
skin. Again others pride themselves upon 
such an acute sense of digestion that they can 
tell the exact ingredients of their food even 
when the palate is deceived. 

Soul and body cannot interact any more 
than the Reflection and the Magic Lanter inter- 
act. 

Quinine or Physic never made a sick man 
well, any more than a dead man could double 



Personified Unthitikables. 59 

up his fist and strike a blow. Faith in the 
knowledge and skill of the doctor who pre- 
scribed the medicine; hopefulness in those 
about the sick man changes the mental image 
until the appearance of disease, like Dissolving 
View, fades into the glorious Reality of 
Health. 

The problem of Health, then, would be how 
to cultivate and keep clean and healthy pictures 
in the mind. Health would then be an essential 
part of the ego. Man would be a strict unity 
not a trinity of Intellect, Body and Morals. 

And the absolutely necessary postulates of 
this Unity would be Infinite Mind, Freedom 
and Eternal Life. 

One more Contradictory remains to be con- 
sidered, viz. : The Contradictory of Life. If 
we affirm life to be a universal, necessary and 
absolute Truth, then Death is impossible and 
unthinkable. 



60 Esoteric Lessons. 

The appearance called death is therefore 
only the last stage of the Lie of Physical Causa- 
tion in which the lie and its mask are swallowed 
up in the victor 7 of Truth, in which the Per- 
sonified Unthinkable is erased from off the 
boards of Reality. 

Heaven is not a Place where there is no 
more sinning, suffering and dying. It is a state 
of Intellectual development. And when the 
finite reaches that stage of Insight by which the 
contradictories of all attributes of Infinite Mind 
are seen to be self-evident Unthinkables — then 
there will be no more death, no matter whether 
that degree of Wisdom is attained upon this 
Earth or in some other Sidereal System. 



CONCLUSION. 

A few more words remain to be said in re- 
gard to the use of the Verbal Opposite, or Con- 
tradictories. Since there is such a thing as 
Verbal Opposite, what is its office in our mental 
activities? Reason insists that nothing is use- 
less or meaningless in the Universe. Why, 
then, is it possible to say or to believe a thing 
is so when it is not so ? 

Consider, then, for a moment, the propo- 
sition that two straight lines cannot enclose 
space. Nothing can make the truth of the 
proposition so manifest, as the attempt to think 
its contradictory, — (two straight lines can in- 
close space.) In fact, Truth cannot be estab- 
lished or proved in any other way. A truth is 
only accepted nominally or on trial, as it were, 
until its contradictory is seen to be a self-evi- 



62 Esoteric Lessons. 

dent Unthinkable. This principle of Con- 
tradictories is, then, our Touchstone for truth. 

And this is the part Attributes and their 
Contradictories play in our knowledge of Re- 
ality. Attributes are the lights, and Contra- 
dictories the shades, which together work out 
some magnificent truth of Being; just as an 
artist represents the idea, Tree, on paper, by 
means of- black dots, and lines, — and light 
spaces. The idea, tree, is made manifest by 
means of the Law of Contradictories, and 
cannot be done in any other way. Why? Be- 
cause the artist is imitating Nature, and in 
nature, the idea is worked out on the principle 
of Contradictories; for phenomena are but 
mental pictures for the ideas of Infinite Mind. 

In like manner all the great truths of Health, 
Virtue and Life are worked out of this same 
principle of Contradictories; But mankind, at 
present, as it were, accept them only nominally, 



Personified Unthinkables. 63 

or on trial. There is but one way to establish 
them as grand Realities. When the appear- 
ances called Evil, Disease and Death, are seen 
to be results of personifying self-evident un- 
thinkables; then Health, Virtue and Eternal 
Life will be as absolutely certain as the fact 
that all right-angles are equal. 

If a man in looking at the drawing of the 
tree on paper, should see only a meaningless 
collection of black lines and dots, and should 
devote himself to a minute analysis and enu- 
meration of dots, angles, and straggling and 
crooked lines, he might display a very profound 
erudition on the whole subject of lines and 
dots ; but he would forever miss the idea Tree 
in the artist's mind. 

If on the other hand, another man should de- 
vote himself to the study of the phenomena of 
light spaces, he might work out some very 
marvelous theories involving laws of Optics 



64 Esoteric Lessons. 

and Mathematics; but he would also forever 
miss the idea, tree, in the artist's mind. 

But if, finally, some one should, in looking 
at the sketch, arrive instantaneously and un- 
consciously at the idea, tree, lights and shades 
would be quite meaningless, in themselves, and 
never interest him beyond the fact that they 
represent the principle by means of which the 
idea was expressed. 

Like Socrates of old, he would claim no wis- 
dom for himself, simply because he had recog- 
nized the design of the artist, but would feel 
more than ever impelled to affirm that he knew 
nothing, in view of the fact that he was neither 
the Author of the idea, nor the sketch, nor the 
principle by which it was executed. If the 
Oracle pronounced him the wisest of men, he 
would maintain that it was simply because he 
knew nothing, while the Erudites of the Dark 
Lines and Light Spaces did not even know 
they knew nothing. 



Personified Unthinkables. 65 

So if the ego could, with the humility of a 
little child, or with the Wisdom of Socrates, 
starting out once more from the Threshold of 
Knowledge, arrive instantaneously and un- 
consciously at the sublime ideas of Life and 
Love, contradictories would be quite meaning- 
less in themselves and never more be of inter- 
est, save as they had together manifested the 
ideas of Life and Love and furnished the Prin- 
ciple whereby other ideas of Infinite Mind 
could be comprehended by the Finite. 



FIRST LESSONS IN REALITY 



OR 



THE PSYCHICAL BASIS 



OF 



PHYSICAL HEALTH 



PREFACE. 



The following lessons are now given to the 
public without the slightest alteration, just as 
they were prepared, and taught by correspond- 
ence to a few friends and fellow seekers after 
Truth. 

Although it would seem desirable, because 
of their somewhat mystical nature, to attempt 
to fortify them against misconception, yet ex- 
perience has taught that the attempt would, 
after all, but court the very danger to be 
avoided. 

To interpret them too literally will be to lose 
their essence. On the other hand, not to dis- 
cern the vital relations between the ideas herein 
expressed, and the symbols embodying them, 
will be equally fatal to their true apprehension ; 
for the terms employed are not as one might 



jo Esoteric Lessons. 

suppose merely fanciful, figurative, poetic, etc., 
but are used because they express the dual unity 
of Thought and Symbol. 

To have a knowledge of facts is one thing, 
but to grasp the relation of these facts to each 
other, is quite another thing. One mind can 
help another in the former case, but in the lat- 
ter each soul must discern relations for itself. 
This discerning must be inborn, it cannot be im- 
parted. One cannot discern a relation for an- 
other any more than a joke can be appreciated 
vicariously. So in these lessons Thought and 
Symbol have been placed in juxtaposition, the 
insight into their relation must be left to the 
Soul in travail with Truth. 

Los Angeles, California, July, 1886, 



SYNOPSIS 



Introduction — The Staff. 



i. REFLECTION. 



( Visible. ( Hunger. 

Ray-ment < Audible. Food j Eating. 

( Tangible. ( Assimilating. 



2. REFRACTION. 



( Proportion. ( Ray. 

House < Door. Hearth-fire ] Images. 

( Hearth. ( Law. 



Conclusion — The Wall, 



FIRSf LE380N8 IN REALITY 



INTRODUCTION. 

THE STAFF. 

One end of a staff implies another end. 1 
cannot (as tradition relates of a certain Hi- 
bernian philosopher) cut off one end from my 
staff, and then have only one end left. I maj f 
thus reduce the size of my staff, but while it 
holds out it continues to have two ends. Neither 
do the two ends remain after the staff has gone. 
The staff and its ends are real, or polar oppo- 
sites, which mutually imply each other, which 
are utterly meaningless and unthinkable apart. 

However, although I cannot detach the staff 
from its ends, nor the ends from the staff, yet I 
can distinguish between them. One end is not 
the other end. The head is not the foot of the 
staff, neither is the foot the head. There must, 



74 Esoteric Lessons. 

therefore, be some invisible point of union be- 
tween the two. A point which is neither the 
one end nor the other, but where the two are 
one. This invisible centre I take to be the point 
of equilibrium. I, therefore, balance my staff 
until I find this point. Now but one thing re- 
mains to make my staff living, to turn the rod 
into a serpent, and that is motion. The motion 
of my staff about its invisible centre is circu- 
lar, a form of spiral. Spiral is from the Latin 
spira, meaning breath, coil, spire, etc. Spirit 
is from the same word. Motion is, according- 
ly, the breath of life. 

The staff as a whole expresses Unity; as 
composed of polar opposites it is a Duality; as 
polar opposites and point of equilibrium, a 
Trinity; as living it manifests a Quartemi, — 
the sacred Quarterni of Pythagoras. 

The two ends of the staff, as visible, sym- 
bolize the phenomenal, or terrestrial portions of 



First Lessons in Reality. 75 

this Quarterni. Point of equilibrium, and 
motion, as invisible, symbolize the more real 
and celestial elements. 

Having learned this much of the nature of 
the rod, I wish to know what use I am to make 
of it in the study of Reality. Finding that the 
words real, ray, thing and thought are all de- 
rived from the word meaning Rod, I conclude 
that Reality is Rod-ality, and that to spare the 
rod, in this study of Reality, would be to spoil 
the child. 

Accordingly, my staff, whether I take it as a 
rod of light, or as a type of all vegetation, from 
the blade of grass to the tallest tree, symbolizes 
to me an invisible and more real rod of thing 
and Ray of Thought. 



LESSON II. 

RAY-MENT— VISIBLE. 



If, when standing beside a body of water, I 
chance to see the form of a cloud mirrored in 
golden and rosy tints upon its surface, I am not 
deceived by the picture. Beautiful as it is, I 
know that it is but a reflection of a cloud in the 
sky, far above my. head, which I do not see as 
long as my attention is directed to the cloud 
upon the water. I know that, although I thus 
distinguish between the cloud upon the water 
and the cloud in the sky, I cannot separate the 
one from the other. I cannot detach the cloud 
upon the water from the one in the sky, and 
still have my picture upon the water after the 
picture in the sky has drifted away beyond the 
horizon. 

Still further, I know that as my cloud upon 



First Lessons in Reality. yy 

the water depends upon the cloud in the sky, so 
they both depend upon the light from the sun, 
and that while my picture upon the water is 
simply a reflection produced by the action of 
rays of light and the reaction of the surface of 
the water, so the picture in the sky is a refraction 
produced by the action of rays of light and a 
reaction of vapor in the atmosphere. My cloud 
celestial, and my cloud terrestrial, are each a 
Ray-men t (rod-ment) resulting from an action 
and a reaction. 

But if I cannot separate the refracted picture 
from the reflected picture, then there must be 
some invisible point of union between the two, 
a centre of equilibrium between the action im- 
plied in the term refraction, and the reaction 
implied in the term reflection, a point which is 
neither celestial or terrestrial, but where the 
two are One. 

Looking again upon the water I behold my 



y8 Esoteric Lessons. 

face reflected upon its surface, and then call to 
mind the fact that my own face I have never 
seen ; its reflected image is all that I ever have 
seen, or can see. Now the reflected face upon 
the water is certainly only a ray-ment produced 
by the action of rays of light and the reaction 
of the surface of the water, and if, what I have 
hitherto considered my real face is only a ray- 
ment produced by an action and a reaction, the 
fact that it has never occurred to me proves 
nothing against its truth, especially when I 
remember that since real and ray are the same 
in derivation, from the meaning of the w T ords, 
my real face is my ray face. 

Turning my attention to my body, I conclude 
that if my face is ray-ment my whole body is 
ray-ment, produced by an invisible action and 
reaction. If, then, this terrestrial body or ray- 
ment is like my cloud terrestrial, simply an in- 
verted reflect of my celestial ray-ment, the fact 



First Lessons in Reality. 79 

that I have never consciously recognized my 
celestial ray-ment proves nothing against its 
existence, for while my attention was directed 
exclusively to my cloud floating upon the water, 
I became for the time being entirely oblivious 
of the cloud above my head which I could not 
see. 

But if this terrestrial ray-ment is only an 
inverted reflect of a true and celestial ray-ment, 
then I am possessor of an heritage hitherto un- 
known; for, like the two clouds, they canot be 
separated, they are real ( ray) or polar opposites 
which mutually imply each other, which are 
utterly meaningless and impossible apart. Xow 
if my consciousness has been located, hitherto, 
solelv within the reflected imasre of my true 
self, then I am a slave bound clown, by my own 
ignorance, to chains of sense and suffering. 
But with this recognition of my serfdom I also 
see clearly the way of escape. There must be 



80 Esoteric Lessons. 

an invisible point of union between the Iwo, 
and I must locate my consciousness at that in- 
visible centre of equilibrium between my re- 
fracted and my reflected self, the point which 
is neither celestial nor terrestrial, but where the 
two are One. 

The question of how to emancipate my con- 
sciousness from its inverted reflection and to 
locate it at its true and invisible centre, is the. 
most momentous in the universe. It involves 
the meaning and object of existence. It is the 
problem of all times, that of the perfectibility 
and immortality of the soul. Of the soul, for 
this earthly consciousness is but the inverted 
reflection of my true consciousness, which is 
the same thing as soul. These first lessons in 
Reality, then, are first steps in the path of 
Rodality, — a straight and narrow ray of light ! 

Turning, therefore, to my staff, I state the 
problem in terms of rod. The two visible 



First Lessons in Reality. 81 

ends are terrestrial ray-ments; the head of the 
staff is the body; the foot of the staff is the 
purely finite or earthly mind ; the point of equi- 
librium, or the invisible centre, where body 
and sensations are one, is consciousness; mo- 
tion, the breath of life, completes this Quar- 
terni. 

Consciousness and motion symbolize the re- 
fracted or celestial elements of the Quarterni. 
Body and finite mind, the terrestrial portions. 

Body is the strictly visible member of this 
Quarterni. And body, again, as a whole, is 
four-fold, corresponding in structure to the 
four elements. The solids of the body (bones, 
tissues, etc.) correspond to earth. Heat, the 
agent of the functions especially connected 
with solids and betw r een solids and liquids, 
correspond to the second element, or fire. Se- 
cretions of the body correspond to the third ele- 
ment, or water, while breath is the fourth ele- 
ment, or air. 



82 Esoteric Lessons. 

The action of respiration and the reaction of 
secretions form an upper dualism, and to de- 
stroy, e. g., the balance between the action of 
the lungs and the reaction of the blood, would 
instantly produce violent and even fatal results, 
from which the visible body would soon pass 
to the realm of the invisible. 

The action of heat and the secretion of tis- 
sues form a lower dualism, and to destroy 
the balance between heat and tissues would like- 
wise produce a wasting away of the visible 
body. 

Now the harmonious equilibrium between 
these upper and lower dualisms is what is ordi- 
narily termed physical health, and if, as I have 
already decided, equilibrium of body is simply 
a reflect of a celestial or soul equilibrium, then 
the basis of physical health, is purely psychical. 

But as long as my consciousness is located 
within my body, body rules soul, whereas body 



First Lessons in Reality. 83 

should be simply raiment (ray-ment) for my 
true consciousness. 

Again, this raiment for my soul must be like 
all rays, or, like my staff. It must have two 
ends and a central point. I, therefore, regard 
the Visible as the head of my staff, the Audible 
as the foot, and the Tangible as the point which 
is neither visible nor audible, but where the 
two are one. 



LESSON III. 

RAY-MENT— AUDIBLE. 



Once, by means of an aperture in a shutter, 
and a prism, I tried to detach a ray of sunlight 
from the sun, and shut it up within a dark 
room. It arranged itself in beautiful colors 
upon the wall, but when the sun went, the 
ray went too. So with each step in this study 
of Ray-ality I am confronted with the impos- 
sibility and unthinkability of any such thing 
as separateness. Thus, by means of refraction 
and reflection, combined according to definite 
numeral conditions, light becomes visible ; also, 
by means of refraction and reflection combined 
according to definite numeral conditions, breath 
becomes audible; yet breath and light cannot 
be separated, for light without breath or motion 
would not be light, would not exist at all. 

Still, although I cannot separate visible rays 



First Lessons in Reality. 85 

from audible rays, yet I must distinguish be- 
tween them in order to reach an understanding 
of them. As a first step in distinguishing be- 
tween visible and audible rays, I turn my at- 
tention to the numeral conditions according to 
which all external manifestation takes place. 
And in order to study numbers, I regard them 
as visible numerals and as invisible numerals. 

The visible numerals are three, viz., the 
point, and the two forms of the line, or, the 
straight line and the crooked line. When I 
draw a picture on a piece of paper, I use the 
three visible numerals. But in order to com- 
plete the manifestation, to make my picture liv- 
ing, there must be the light spaces of the paper 
to bring it out. A moment's reflection con- 
vinces me that the whole visible universe is pic- 
tured out to my vision solely by means of the 
three visible numerals in space. All the infiinite 
variety is but gradation and combination of 



86 Esoteric Lessons. 

these primary numbers. The horizon gives 
me the perfect circle. The line from the zenith 
to my feet is the straight line. The outlines 
of the clouds present a loose combination of 
the straight and the crooked lines, while the 
rocks, trees, etc., of the earth's surface, display 
a more minute and compact combination of the 
two forms of line. Geometry, or the art of 
measuring the earth, as well as the whole sci- 
ence of Astronomy, depend upon these visible 
numerals, and with this thought comes to me 
the meaning of these visible numerals. The 
point symbolizes the centre of the two forms of 
line, or the point which is neither the straight 
line nor the crooked line, but where the two 
are one. Again, the straight line symbolizes 
the form of force which strikes out from the 
centre, termed in science the centrifugal ; while 
the crooked line symbolizes the form of force 
which draws back to the centre, termed centri- 



First Lessons in Reality. 87 

petal. Thus is all visibfe but the type of an in- 
visible force — a force which is dual in its action, 
and its dual action being balanced at a central 
point which is neither centrifugal nor centri- 
petal, but where the two are one. And if this 
balance were overcome by either form of force, 
the visible universe would vanish like a shadow. 
Just as the art of measuring deals with the 
visible numerals, so the art of counting or num- 
bering treats of the invisible numerals. All 
counting is based on the Ouarterni, 1, 2, 3, 4. 
Their sum is 10, ten tens are 100, and so on 
to infinity. All the operations of arithmetic are 
also based on the first four, viz., addition, sub- 
traction, multiplication, division. But counting 
cannot be separated from something to count. 
The elements which comprise the earth's sur- 
face and atmosphere combine only according 
to count. Take e. g. the two invisible gases, 
oxygen and hydrogen. They combine and 



88 Esoteric Lessons. 

form water only according to the number tzvo. 
And, moreover, this combination is audible at 
the instant at which it becomes visible. 

This number two holds the balance of power. 
It represents the point which is neither oxygen 
nor hydrogen, but where the two are one, and 
I have only to overcome this polarity to cause 
the visible water to vanish into two invisible 
gases. But what is true of water is true of all 
compounds comprising the earth's surface. De- 
stroy the numeral condition and the visible van- 
ishes. Even the diamond, the hardest known 
substance, heated in oxygen gas, burns to car- 
bonic acid, and carbonic acid at the ordinary 
atmospheric temperature is a transparent, 
colorless gas. 

In order to determine the relation of measur- 
ing to counting, I turn to my imprisoned ray of 
sunlight, pictured on the wall in seven different 
colors, viz. : 



First Lessons in Reality. 89 

Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet. 
12 3 4 5 6 7 

Now the odd numbers, 1, 3, 5, 7, are certain- 
ly different gradations of refraction from the 
white back to the white, completing the circle. 
But 2, or orange, which is between red and yel- 
low, reflects both red and yellow, and is thus a 
mixture or compound of the two. Again, 4, 
or green, reflects both yellow and blue; 6, or 
indigo, reflects both blue and violet. Thus I see 
that the odd numbers 1, 3, 5, 7, signify differ- 
ent gradations of the centrifugal force or 
straight line, while the even numbers, 2, 4, 6, 
are gradations of the centripetal force, or 
crooked line. Counting expresses gradations 
of measuring. 

But what is true of the seven colors is equal- 
ly true of the seven notes : 

12 3 4 5 6 7 

Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet. 

CD E F G A B 



90 Esoteric Lessons. 

c,l, d, b, are different gradations of re- 
fraction from the octave to the octave, 
while d, f 1 are reflected tones, correspond- 
ing in quality to the colors they represent. 

The exquisite primary cord I, 3, 5, or C, E, 
G, is Reel, Yellow and Blue manifested to my 
consciousness through my ear instead of my 
eye. So every conceivable cord and combina- 
nation of tone and color can be written out in 
figures, until I am led to exclaim : Sound is 
color made audible ; and color is sound made 
visible ! My eye and my ear are avenues to my 
consciousness of the two halves of a unity. In 
order to determine whether the sense of touch 
is the avenue to my consciousness of the unity 
of the two halves, I next give my attention to 
the Tangible. 



LESSON IV. 

RAY-MENT— TANGIBLE. 



I might have been born blind, and yet been 
able to determine the meaning, the harmony, 
and to a certain degree, even the color of ob- 
jects about me, by means of touch. I might 
have been born deaf, and yet been able to deter- 
mine the meaning of words, and the harmo- 
nies of sound from touch and sight. I might 
have been born with only the sense of touch, 
yet have attained to a higher and truer knowl- 
edge of the world in which I live than many 
about me endowed with five senses. 

But without the sense of touch I could not 
maintain my terrestrial existence. When feel- 
ing goes, life of the visible body goes too. 
Touch is, then, the vital sense of the terrestrial 
body. 

When I push my hand against a stone, or 



92 Esoteric Lessons. 

thrust it into water, or pass it through the air, 
I am conscious of different degrees of resist- 
ance. And I classify objects about me accord- 
ing to the different degrees of resistance which 
they offer to my touch. The air, when it offers 
no resistance to my touch, is unperceived, so 
without resistance there is no touch. 

But what is resistance? Resistance is sim- 
ply force, an invisible action and reaction, 
which is expressed by, and can be determined 
from, numbers, e. g., the resistance of water is 
expressed by the number 2. I have only to 
overcome the polarity or equilibrium expressed 
by this numeral to render the water, which was 
tangible, tangible no longer. 

But what can be done in the case of water 
is also possible in the case of the most seem- 
ingly immovable solids of the earth. By means 
of burning glasses the sun's rays can be col- 
lected to a central point, or focus, and heat ob- 



First Lessons in Reality. 93 

tained sufficient to change solid rocks into 
liquid flames. And thus I come to realize that 
the tangible is tangible only according to cer- 
tain definite conditions which correspond ex- 
actly with the conditions according to which 
the Visible is visible and the Audible is audible. 

Upon comparing the three forms of ray- 
ment still further, I am convinced that the visi- 
ble, and the audible, likewise, are perceivable 
by me, only by means of Resistance. The one 
is resistance of light vibrations, or radiations, 
and the other is resistance of breadth vibra- 
tions, or radiations. So that sight and sound 
can be said to be forms of Touch. Touch thus 
represents the point where sight and sound are 
one. 

All sensation may then be called touch, or 
Resistance expressed in different degrees. The 
sense of touch (ordinarily so called) expresses 
the first degree, or most actual and living con- 



94 Esoteric Lessons. 

tact ; sound, the second degree ; vision, the third 
degree, or most remote and external contact. 

Thus, to hear and see flames may affect me 
very agreeably, but the effect of touch would 
be quite the contrary. Yet the flames come in 
contact with my consciousness as truly in the 
one case as in the other. 

The fact of the unity of sensation is well il- 
lustrated in the case of a child. It is never sat- 
isfied with simply looking at an object. It must 
see with its fingers as well as its eyes. And 
shakes or drops the object in order to see with 
its ears also. 

Xow since T have decided that this terrestrial 
ray-merit is only an inverted reflect of a celestial 
rav-ment, or thoughtment, I must strictly apply 
this fact in the case of sensation. 

This resistance, comprised under the three 
forms of visible, audible and tangible sensa- 
tion; this purely terrestrial touch : this my 



First Lessons in Reality. 95 

means of communication with the external 
world, or terrestrial minds about me, is simply 
an inverted reflect of a higher sense of Touch, 
of a Resistance to an interior or celestial world 
of Thoughts and Minds (since thoughts imply 
minds). 

If I have hitherto been entirely unconscious 
of this interior three-fold sense, it is because 
my attention has been so taken up solely with 
external resistance that the interior resistance 
has been unobserved. 

But when I do observe this interior resistance 
I find that, in its development, my experience 
corresponds to that of the child in the case of 
its exterior sensation. I see first with my 
fingers. This is the interpretation of bodily 
suffering. Body first responds to this thought 
resistance. But as I advance in knowledge and 
acquire this thought resistance through the 
other avenues of touch, thought vibrations, or 



g6 Esoteric Lessons. 

radiations, which, like the flames, now cause 
me acute suffering, will become a source of 
most wonderful knowledge and understanding 
as soon as I can hear them and see them instead 
of simply feeling them. Then, what now pros- 
trates me with physical suffering will become 
to me the greatest possible source of power and 
wisdom. 

But before I can raise my interior and true 
sense of touch to the celestial plane, I must first 
pass through a terrestrial plane of thought. I 
am encompassed round about by a dense at- 
mosphere of absorbing cares, in traffic, and in 
social and political life. I must feel my way 
through this earthly atmosphere before I can 
reach a higher realm of Thought. First, I feel 
my way with touch in the first degree, which 
means suffering; second, with touch in the 
second degree, by means of which I begin to ob- 
serve a harmony and meaning in the confused 



First Lessons in Reality. 97 

din and squabble about me; and finally, with 
touch in the third degree, whence my eyes are 
gradually opened, and seeing for the first time 
in my life, I come to know how to see less with 
my fingers and more with my ears and my eyes. 

Thus I come to discern the relation of terres- 
trial body and mind to celestial body and mind. 

Reflected body and its three-fold sense is 
simply raiment, or garment, or visible expres- 
sion for the celestial body, or soul. 

Finite, or earthly, or reflected mind is the 
food or nourishment for the soul, by means of 
which the soul after hungering, eating and as- 
similating the husks of finite thought, returns 
to its Father's house, to be fed with the heaven- 
ly bread and staff of life, and to enter upon the 
celestial heritage. 

This great truth of my celestial heritage is 
first refracted to my consciousness through the 
tear-drops of suffering, then afterwards re- 



98 Esoteric Lessons. 

fleeted, by means of numbers and harmony, to 
my vision. 

Touch is the refractory medium through 
which the Divine Ray is transmitted to my con- 
sciousness, while the medium refracts outward- 
ly, the Ray is a rod of correction, but when it 
refracts back toward its celestial source, it is 
the staff which comforts. 

The Tangible is thus the point of equilibrium 
between the Visible and the Audible, the vital 
point of radiation, while radiation itself, or mo- 
tion, changes sensation from the plane of re- 
flected body to the plane of reflected Intellect, 
or to the second spire or coil of the Serpent. 



LESSON V. 

FOOD— HUNGER. 



The polar opposite of touch is desire; and, 
although touch and desire cannot be separated 
the one from the other, yet I at once observe a 
very important and signficant distinction. 
Touch, I cannot disconnect from bodily sensa- 
tion; Desire, I cannot disconnect from mind — 
the purely finite or reflected mind. 

Bodily sensation brings me in contact with 
the infinite wonders of the phenomenal uni- 
verse, and spontaneous with this contact occurs 
the desire to experience and to know the reality 
back of this phenomenal — its meaning, and its 
purpose. 

The way by which I am to reach this experi- 
ence and knowledge is, obviously, very direct, 



ioo Esoteric Lessons. 

if I but follow the straight and narrow path al- 
ready marked out viz., as the phenomenal is an 
inverted and left-sided copy of the real ; as ex- 
ternal sensation also bears this relation to in- 
terior sensation, then must the desire connected 
with external sensation be also only an inverted 
and left-sided copy of a Desire which is in- 
terior, or esoteric. In other words, the interior 
sense of touch implies the esoteric desire, just 
as external touch implies external desire. 

In order to reach this coterie desire, I must, 
indeed, start from the r.roteric desire — the out- 
ward doth from the inward roll — and the in- 
ward dwells in the inmost soul. I must possess 
myself of the knowledge which only can be 
bought by experience, and which comes from 
direct contact with the phenomenal. But I must 
accept the experience of sensation and desire 
only as a means of knowing reality — the ex- 
oteric must always be my ladder to the coterie 



First Lessons in Reality. 101 

The Visible must simply reflect to me images 
of objects which in themselves are entirely be- 
yond my range of sight; from the Audible I 
must learn to detect the counts of the Still 
Voice; while the rod of the Tangible, with its 
two ends of pleasure and pain, must truly 
"Feed full my sense for a while;" 
until balancing the rod and finding the point of 
equilibrium between pleasure and pain, I attain 
to the interior vision, 

"The sight that my soul yearns after." 

To refuse the experiences of bodily sensation 
and desire is to refuse ray-ment and food to the 
soul ; and thus to deprive the soul of its only 
means of development toward final perfection. 

But, to be deceived by these images — to ac- 
cept the mere reflections for the realities them- 
selves — is the fundamental error, or, in other 
words, the fatal sin of Idolatry. No matter 
whether I call it error, or whether I call it sin, 



102 Esoteric Lessons. 

the thing in itself, independent of what I may 
call it, is Idolatry. 

Therefore, although I must diligently till 
the soil of this terrestrial ray-ment and its sen- 
sations, the fruit must not be consecrated to 
the idols themselves, but must be brought as an 
offering and sacrificed to the true desire of soul. 

Now, if I say the irrevocable penalty of Idol- 
atry is Disease and Death, I but state in other 
words the fact that Disease and Death are 
logical results of calling inverted shadows the 
entities they are not and cannot be. 

The fact in itself acts quite independent of 
whatever I may choose to call it. Idolatry is 
not pacified with the term sin any more than 
by the word error. 

As long as I am an Idolator, I am subject to 
disease and death in spite of the creed to which 
I may subscribe, in spite of the benevolence and 
morality I may practice, or even in spite of the 



First Lessons in Reality. 103 

drugs I may swallow and the laws of hygiene 
I may observe. 

Xor is this death penalty of Idolatry can- 
celed with once meeting its decrees ; on the con- 
trary, it means innumerable deaths for me, 
until, by my own insight, I renounce the Idola- 
try of shadow worship, and turn to the Living 
Ray-ality. 

Yet the requisite insight, together with the 
necessary power of choice, do not reside in the 
finite mind itself. They cannot be separated 
from it, but their true seat is in the soul. 

That consciousness possessed by the finite 
mind and its desires (hungers), together with 
its seeming power of choice, are but illusory re- 
flects of Soul (true consciousness), and true 
Freedom. Soul is the true Ego, while the con- 
sciousness possessed by finite mind and its de- 
sires is reflected ego. So also in this power of 
choice which I possess, I must distinguish be- 



104 Esoteric Lessons. 

tween a true and a reflected Freedom. 

Now, this true ego is the central point of my 
four-fold system as a whole; body is raiment to 
this ego, and, just as I must needs have many 
garments in the course of my earth life, so must 
the true ego require innumerable robes in its 
long course of development toward perfection. 
Finite mind is food to the true ego, and also, 
just as my finite mind and its hungers is not 
in itself developed by one meal of victuals, so 
the true ego requires for its nourishment dur- 
ing its long process of growth the food supplied 
by innumerable finite existences.* In other 
words, the true ego is only developed by means 
of innumerable incarnations. Herein is the 
mystery of birth and death. 

Of my staff of finite mind, desire is the head ; 
and just as the staff must follow the course of 



*In mineral, vegetable, animal and lastly 



man, 



First Lessons in Reality. 105 

the head in its revolutions, so the coterie de- 
sire leads the whole staff in downward spirals 
to the very depths of the shadows ; but the es- 
oteric desire leads in upward spirals toward the 
celestial light. 

As the polar opposite of desire is action, ac- 
tion must then be the foot of my staff of finite 
mind. 

But esoteric desire of the finite mind is only 
another term for hunger of soul, and just as de- 
sire implies action, so hunger implies eating. 

Esoteric desire and action of the finite mind 
are hunger and eating of the true Ego. 



LESSON VI. 

FOOD— EATING. 



Since desire is either true desire or reflected 
desire, exoteric or esoteric, then must the action 
implied by desire be either exoteric action or 
esoteric action. 

Accordingly, studying action as dual, as true 
action and reflected action, I first observe that 
the two forms must, of necessity, be exactly 
contradictory. This is implied in the relation 
itself of a reflect to the object it reflects. Ac- 
tion on the plane of finite thought moves in a 
diametrically opposite direction from action 
on the plane of the celestial. And as long as 
the finite acts unconscious of the higher plane, 
which it simply contradicts (reflects), that 
power of choice which I seem to possess is, in 
truth, the exact contradictory of choice. It is 



First Lessons in Reality. 107 

only the choice of the winds and the tides, the 
times and the seasons, which obey the hidden 
law instead of coming and going as they them- 
selves may choose. 

As my eyes become opened to the relation of 
exoteric action to esoteric action, as expressed 
in the law of contradictories, the more evident 
it becomes to me, that the very actions, in the 
performance of which I was most certain of 
perfect power of choice, were the very ones in 
which I had absolutely no choice. 

On this plane of the shadows I find that al- 
though I have eyes I see not, although I have 
ears yet I hear not, and although I act with 
seeming freedom, yet all my acts are contra- 
dictory ; what I do with my right hand, that my 
left undoes, and what I affirm with my lips, 
that mv heart denies; when I would walk in 
one direction my feet follow the opposite. 

Thus I come to realize that the quality of all 



108 Esoteric Lessons. 

my action on the finite plan, though seemingly 
active, is in truth, passive. Accordingly I re- 
gard all finite action (exoteric action) as in its 
essence, Passion. 

Again, action is always put forth as a means 
to obtain a given end. It is a reaching out to- 
ward, accordingly I must regard action as 
Offering, or Oblation, as well as Passion. 

From this it directly follows that all my ac- 
tions which have in view terrestrial aims, pleas- 
ures and possessions are offerings, or sacrifices 
made to idols (shadows'). As long as in my 
desires I worship idols, all my acts must, of 
necessity, be oblations to my idols, for the de- 
sire and the act mutually imply each other. 
But, on the other hand, it also directly follows 
that as soon as my desires becomes esoteric 
all my actions will be offerings to the living 
Ray-ality instead of to shadow idols. 

The ancient myth of Saturn feeding upon 



First Lessons in Reality. 109 

his own helpless offspring, is, I find, an exact 
type of my true ego, which is sustained and de- 
veloped to maturity (im-mortality) by devour- 
ing its own reflected (mortal) images. 

However, as long as I am an idolater, and 
my desires purely exoteric, I find that I, in my 
turn, act the part of Saturn to all beneath me 
in the plane of shadow. I desire, and seek my 
own comfort and welfare as paramount. If I 
am humane it is because I am enlightened 
enough to discern that thus I best secure my 
own ends. And even on the plane of body, 
while I continue to maintain my animal life at 
the expense of my animal kindred, I do so 
without perceiving that I thus have the dis- 
tinctive mark which classifies me with the beast 
of prey tribe. 

I deprive a helpless victim of the birthright 
to life for the sake of a mess of savory pottage, 
thus securing for myself both the birthright 



no Esoteric Lessons. 

and pottage. And as I analyze my line of con- 
duct still further, I find that this one act is a 
perfect type of every act of wordly wisdom and 
prudence. 

But the instant my desire becomes esoteric, 
the whole line of conduct is reversed and be- 
gins to move in the opposite direction. Action 
is no longer sacrifice of the higher to the lower, 
but becomes a series of oblation after oblation 
of the lower to the higher. Each act is the re- 
nunciation of a shadow for a true ray. Each 
step upon the ladder by which I mount from the 
exoteric to the esoteric is the crucifixion of a 
contradictory of truth. 

Yet any ascetic practice I may adopt which 
merely aims to restrain the external act, while 
the desire still exists in full force, is as futile 
a performance as it would be for me to set my- 
self to work to cut off one end of my staff and 
expect to have only one end left. I must not 



First Lessons in Reality. 1 1 1 

attempt the impossible, but must patiently set 
myself to work to balance my staff of desire 
and action, and not being- discouraged with re- 
peated failures, persist, sustained by the 
knowledge that the staff can be balanced, that 
there is a point of equilibrium between desire 
and act, and that upon this point I can step, in 
perfect security, to the higher plane. But if 
I try to step upon either end the staff will surely 
tip. It is only the point of equilibrium which 
will sustain my weight. 

These steps are the true sacrifices by means 
of which I attain to my maturity. They are 
the burnt offerings of consumed shadows upon 
which the true ego feeds, until, accumulatine 
the necessary strength . it will finally free itself 
wholly from the shadows and enter upon its 
celestial heritage. They are the offspring of 
Saturn, which will eventually possess them- 
selves of their father's throne and power. 



H2 Esoteric Lessons. 

But how will they possess themselves of this 
power? Hunger and eating are polar oppo- 
sites ; now the equilibrium between hunger and 
eating, or the point where the two are one, is 
assimilation. The strength of my phenomenal 
body seemingly comes from the assimilation 
which follows eating. But this seeming fact 
is only a reflection of the seeming fact that the 
finite mind obtains its finite wisdom from its 
power of assimilating thought. While this 
seeming fact, in its turn, is but reflection of the 
Truth that the celestial Power of the true ego 
is attained through its assimilation of its own 
esoteric offspring, or its true Sacrifices. 



LESSON VII. 

FOOD— ASSIMILATING. 



On the plane of body, assimilation occurs 
through the secretions, or fluids. On the plane 
of finite mind, the mental picture expresses the 
point of assimilation between mind and 
thought. 

Now, the relation of finite mind to body is 
that of cause to effect. Finite mind symbolizes 
action ; body, re-action ; and since action and re- 
action are only different terms for refraction 
and reflection, it follows that all operations of 
body are reflected mental operations ; therefore, 
it also follows that all forms and conditions of 
secretions are reflected mental pictures. 

In the case of finite mind, the mental picture 
is expressed outwardly by means of words, 



ii4 Esoteric Lessons. 

spoken or written, or through some of the arts. 
In the case of body, the secretions (reflected 
mental pictures) expressed outwardly are 
bones, muscles, skin, etc. 

Just so in the case of the globe I inhabit — its 
liquids (reflected mental pictures) expressed 
outwardly are its geological formation, its 
rocks, minerals, etc. 

In order to clearly and fully grasp this rela- 
tion, I will first analyze it by means of my staff, 
and then follow out its application in the case 
of a word. 

(i.) The word in itself as external (visible 
or audible) is the head of my staff. 

(2.) Its finite or reflected significance and 
force, is the foot of my staff. 

(3.) My experience of the significance and 
force of the word is the point of balance be- 
tween the external word and its internal force ; 
and this experience is of different degrees, from 



First Lessons in Reality. 115 

a merely blind physical re-action up to the high- 
est form of consciousness. 

(4.) The true, celestial force and meaning 
of a word is motion, which completes the Quar- 
terni. 

Now I will apply this analysis in the case of 
the word which is expressed outwardly, or phe- 
nomenally, as arsenic. 

(1.) Arsenic is a weapon of a cold, steel 
grey color, and of a glittering lustre. This 
metal is the visible expression of a reality 
which on the plane of finite mind I term Cal- 
umny. Arsenic is the steel grey, glittering 
weapon of the assassin Calumny, and the metal 
in itself no more destroys than the weapon can 
slay apart from the hand of the assassin. 

Arsenic destroys bodily tissues and functions 
for the very simple reason that it cannot be 
separated from the thought which it repre- 
sents. It cannot come in contact with my sense 



n6 Esoteric Lessons. 

of touch without suggesting to my mind, and 
then to my body, the thought of which it is an 
inverted reflect. It makes no difference 
whether my sense of touch comes in contact 
with the symbol through my stomach or 
through my eyes, it is the thought which slays, 
and not its reflected image. 

Neither does it make the slightest difference 
in the result that I did not know my mind was 
acting, and my body re-acting, to the thought 
Calumny; for I know next to nothing of the 
majority of the thoughts which pass and re- 
pass through my mind, either of their true 
meaning, or of their connection, or how they 
come and where they go. 

(2.) But the visible effect of swallowing 
arsenic upon my body only expresses a more 
real effect, on the plane of finite mind, of the 
assassin Calumny upon my whole terrestrial 
usefulness and existence. 



First Lessons in Reality. 117 

(3. ) However, when I grasp the meaning of 
the law of contradictories, and begin to know 
the esoteric life, I gradually come to know 
that the more powerless I am rendered on the 
lower plane, the more do I gain power on the 
true plane, if I but know how to use it. 

(4.) As my experience of the true force and 
significance of the word is raised toward true 
consciousness, I also begin to discern the celes- 
tial force of the word Calumny, and finally be- 
hold, in the assassin, only a left-handed and 
inverted redeemer. 

But what is true of this one word is true of 
all words. The whole universe can be regarded 
as words in different degrees of evolution, just 
as it can be considered thought-rays in differ- 
ent degrees of manifestation. I must first learn 
the names of these words, then I must combine 
words into phrases, then into sentences. But, 
after I become a proficient in reading, it is a 



n8 Esoteric Lessons. 

long time before I can grasp even the external 
(reflected) significance of what I read. And 
only after most profound study and experience 
of the external do I come, finally, to grasp the 
law of contradictories, through which I gain 
the esoteric vision that enables me to discern 
the true and right-sided reality even while my 
exoteric eye sees only its inverted reflection. 
This whole process expresses the various de- 
grees of reading, and esoteric reading is the 
assimilation of the true ego. 

From this analysis I observe a solemn import 
in the use of words. No matter how ignorantly 
I may use them, I must render an account of my 
use ; for the word cannot be disconnected from 
its significance any more than the reflect can 
be separated from the object it mirrors, or re- 
action can exist apart from action. 

No matter how I may regard words, just as 
surely as I call upon them with my lips, just so 



First Lessons in Reality. 1 19 

surely do I evoke their true significance and 
force, which will act in sublime indifference to 
any conventional opinion I may chance to hold 
of their meaning. Words w r ill follow the force 
which impels them, and will rebound according 
to count. But when I become an esoteric reader 
and know the law of the action and the count 
of the rebound, these words no longer rule me, 
but I rule words, until finally I realize the 
power which follows assimilation. 

This power of assimilating contradictories 
which enables me to see in death only an in- 
verted and left-sided reflect of Life; and also to 
see that birth and death are opposite ends of the 
same staff, .is the light upon my path which 
leads to my celestial heritage. It is also the 
illumination by means of which this heritage 
is made visible to my esoteric sense. 

But assimilation, in its highest degree, is the 
gestation and travail of that new birth which is 
neither birth nor death, but the life eternal. 



LESSON VIII. 

HOUSE— PROPORTION. 



My staff of Consciousness has two ends and 
a point of equilibrium, i. c, exoteric conscious- 
ness, esoteric consciousness and soul (true 
ego), the invisible centre where the two ends 
are one. Consciousness, as a whole, is the tent, 
the covering, or House of the true ego; exo- 
teric consciousness is the outer room; esoteric 
consciousness the inner room, while the soul 
itself is symbolized by the Hearth situated in 
the centre of the house between the two rooms. 

Before proceeding upon this study of Con- 
sciousness, I must bear in mind the fact that I 
am now dealing with entities which are not 
palpable to the senses — Consciousness I cannot 



First Lessons in Reality. 121 

see, hear nor touch: it is a House not made by 
hands, and to accept literally any of the terms 
employed in designating degrees and relations 
of consciousness will be to fall into the gross- 
est error. And yet, since this present study is 
devoted to the exposition of the psychical basis 
of physical health, my study cannot go beyond 
the ground plan of this house ; its elevation plan 
must be reserved for future study in Reality. 

In my present study I can only consider my 
cloud celestial with reference to my cloud ter- 
restrial, and not with reference to its relation 
with its celestial Sun and Source. 

In the study of my cloud terrestrial, I have 
been dealing with Reflection and inverted Re- 
flects ; now, however, I must study my celestial 
heritage as Refraction, and true Refracts. And 
I must constantly bear in mind that, owing to 
the blindness of my esoteric vision, these true 
Refracts will at first seem to me upside down: 



122 Esoteric Lessons. 

but as my eyes are opened, Refracts will seem 
right side up, but Reflects will then, for the first 
time, seem in their true light as inverted. 

The House of Consciousness, as a whole, 
must, therefore, be a true refraction of which 
my Ray-ment of Body was the inverted reflec- 
tion. 

Of my staff of Ray-ment, the Visible was the 
head ; therefore, that which appeals to the eye 
in the case of House, or Proportion, must be 
the true refract, of which the Visible is the in- 
verted reflect. The Proportion which appeals, 
through my exoteric vision, to my sense of 
harmony, is the external symbol of that true 
Proportion discernible only through my eso- 
teric vision. 

Proportion is commonly defined as an equal- 
ity or equilibrium of ratios. And since it must 
consist of four terms, Proportion is the scales, 
or balance, of the Quarterni. 



First Lessons in Reality. 123 

- In the case of body, this balance is the 
equilibrium of the four elements, which results 
in the consciousness of physical proportion 
termed Health. 

In the case of Unite mind, this balance is the 
equilibrium of mind, thoughts, mental pictures 
and outward expression (in speech, in art, 
etc.), which results in the consciousness of 
mental proportion termed knowledge and 
power. 

But on the true and larger plane it is the 
equilibrium of my celestial and terrestrial re- 
fraction and reflection, which results in the 
conscious possession and realization, on the 
part of the true ego, of its celestial heritage. 

Now, the terrestrial reflection was dual ; i. e., 
it consisted of action (finite mind) and a re- 
action (body). So the celestial refraction also 
consists of an action (a Ray, one with and in- 
separable from its Sun and Source), and a re- 



124 Esoteric Lessons. 

action (true ego). Accordingly, in order to 
clearly see and firmly grasp the relation of the 
dual reflection to its dual refraction, I state 
them thus : starting with the reflection, I rep- 
resent body by a; finite mind by b ; true ego by 
x; celestial Ray by y. 

Now, since Proportion is an equilibrium of 
ratios, it directly follows from the nature itself 
of reflection and refraction that a : b : : x : y, 
or, body is to finite mind as the true eeo is to its 
celestial Ray. 

Body (is to) finite mind (as) true ego (is 
to) Ray. 

a : b : : x : y 

Reflected , Reflected . . Refracted . Refracted 
re-action ' action ' ' re-action action. 

a and b (body and finite mind) are the known 
terms of this proportion, x and y the unknown 
terms ; and the problem stated thus, a : b : : x 
: y, represents the true equilibrium between re- 
flection and refraction, and at the same time 



First Lessons in Reality. 125 

states the reason that a : b, as it is, because x : y, 
as it is. But when I wish to solve the problem 
I transpose the unknown terms to the first mem- 
ber of the equation, and the known to the sec- 
ond member of the equation, or, turn the left 
hand to the right, thus, x \ y : : a : b, an in- 
stinctive acknozvledgement of the fact that the 
knozi'n is the inverted and left-sided copy of the 
unknown. 

The word ratio is from the Latin radius (ray 
or rod), therefore in its derived significance a 
ratio is a rod, and proportion is accordingly an 
equilibrium of rods, and thus is the true mean- 
ing expressed in the derivation, since propor- 
tion is equilibrium between reflected rods 
(rays) and refracted rods. 

This equilibrium of rods is always a problem 
capable of solution, although one requiring 
skill and patience. The value, meaning, and 
force of x, or true ego, is always the point to 
be ascertained. 



126 Esoteric Lessons. 

Here, again, I notice that the very symbol 
itself (the x) which I have instinctively em- 
ployed to designate the true ego expresses, by 
its form of cross, the equilibrium of two rods. 
Thus, not only is proportion itself a statement 
of the problem of the soul, but also the term 
itself, which stands for soul, states this mo- 
mentous problem. Reflecting still further, I 
find that proportion, as the equilibrium of re- 
flected rods and refracted rods, states and 
solves all the problems of light, heat, sound and 
motion, and thus I come to regard the whole 
phenomenal universe as but a continuous state- 
ment and re-statement of this problem of the 
soul. 

But I have just found that each statement, in 
itself, is dual ; that at the same time, or together 
with the statement, there is also a re-statement, 
or reason why, implied in the statement itself, 



First Lessons in Reality. 127 

i. e. } the statement also implies the solution ; or, 
to state is to solve, thus, 

(as) (because) 

a : b : : x : y a : b : : x : y 

Statement. Solution. 

The statement implies knowledge, while the 
solution (re-statement) expresses faith. But 
the equilibrium between this statement and its 
re-statement is the anchor by means of which 
the true ego realizes its Ray-ment, or House of 
consciousness as the refracted reality, of which 
its Ray-ment of bodily sensation was the in- 
verted reflection. 



LESSON IX. 

HOUSE— DOOR. 



Between the outer and inner rooms of my 
House of Consciousness there is a door, which 
swings out or in. The name of this door is 
Doubt. When it swings out, the counts of its 
vibrations are audible to my external ear; but 
when it swings in, the counts are audible only 
to my esoteric ear. 

This double nature of my door is expressed 
in its very name ; for doubt is derived from two 
Greek words which signify to go two zvays, and 
to doubt is, very literally, to be in the mental 
and physical condition of trying to walk in two 
opposite directions at the same time. 

However, from doubt — from this attempt to 
walk in two opposite directions at the same time 



First Lessons in Reality. 129 

— is produced all mental action, which ulti- 
mately results in knowledge. Doubt is the only 
door through which I can ever reach absolute 
certitude. 

As long as I do not doubt, but accept every- 
thing as it appears on the outside, taking for 
granted the seeming for the real, the door be- 
tween me and knowledge is closed and locked. 
But the moment I begin to doubt the door be- 
gins to swing, and it swings out, creaking and 
grating, and forces me away from the very 
knowledge I would seek; while I, deceived by 
the sound, think, because the door is opening, 
and because I am listening to the counts, that 
I am thus acquiring truth, while I am, really, 
only acquiring the contradictory of truth. 
Thus I who sincerely seek truth, partake only 
of its inverted reflect, and, thereby, deceived 
and bewildered, I become a victim of all man- 
ner of delusions, and fearful of shadows, until 



130 Esoteric Lessons. 

finally the door swings clear back against the 
wall, and can go no further. The door has 
swung wide open, and to doubting was due the 
whole mental activity by which this result was 
accomplished. 

In its course of outward movement the door 
has described a semicircle. There is but one 
way to complete the circle, viz., the door must 
swing back again, and then swing over the 
threshold into the inner, and hitherto unknown 
room of my house, until it reaches the wall 
again on the inner side; then the circle will be 
complete. 

Doubt has opened wide the door, and mani- 
fested the whole process of the movement 
which described the outer semicircle. Now, 
the determination to complete and to know the 
other half of the circle is the exact contra- 
dictory of doubt. Determination reverses the 
movement of the door. It begins to swing in. 



First Lessons in Reality. 131 

To determine is, therefore, to reverse doubt, 
not to abandon it; for, manifestly, determina- 
tion without previous line of doubt to follow 
back upon must surely end in my finding my- 
self just where I started, i. e. y before a closed 
and locked door. 

The way to reverse doubt is to, at once and 
unreservedly, doubt all that doubt has pre- 
viously accepted as real, what doubt has hither- 
to decided to be unreal. Thus will I possess 
myself of the key which will force the door to 
swing over its latch without locking. But I 
must swing the door clear open, and describe 
the inner semicircle, before I can myself pass 
in and consciously possess myself of the treas- 
ures of this esoteric consciousness. 

In geometry, the word term signifies the 
point and the line, and to dc-term-ine is to limit 
by means of the point and the line. According- 
ly, to doubt and to determine is the process by 



132 Esoteric Lessons. 

means of which I arrive at the true meaning of 
the point and the line. Doubt is the form of 
force which causes the door to swing, or strike 
out from the centre of equilibrium, or, the cen- 
trifugal force; while Determination is the form 
of force which draws back to the centre, or, 
centripetal force. Now, when these two forms 
of force are in perfect equilibrium, my door will 
describe the perfect circle. But before that, in 
my actual experience while developing this 
circle, this larger line is in itself marked out by 
an incessant pendulum-like swing, first back, 
then forth, of the door, and so on — an infinitely 
zigzag line, and a continuous tick-tack of count, 
the counts varying according to the longer or 
shorter swing of the door. And these counts 
express gradations of doubt and determination. 
This I also found to be the relation between the 
two forms of numerals, or, counting and meas- 
uring. 



First Lessons in Reality. 133 

Doubt has led to a mental activity which has 
resulted in the accumulation of facts, or knowl- 
edge of the external construction of my circle. 
Determination is the re-action against doubt, 
which will ultimately force the door back and 
within. 

The relations of doubts and determinations 
is that of cogs and grooves, and without the two 
the wheel could not revolve; i. e., doubts and 
determinations are polar opposites which mu- 
tually imply each other. Just so my outer semi- 
circle, when completed, must be the polar op- 
posite of the inner semicircle, and since the two 
mutually imply each other, when I know the 
external I also know what the inner must be. 

The name, Doubt, «which I have given my 
door, since it signifies to go two ways, implies 
both doubt and determination in itself. How- 
ever, as doubt is the first act which drives the 
door away from the inner room, and determina- 



134 Esoteric Lessons. 

tion impels it back into my esoteric conscious- 
ness, I now give my door two names to desig- 
nate the direction in which it swings. Thus, 
when swinging out I call it Doubt, when 
swinging in I call it Determination, for it is de- 
termination which forces the door in — tears 
it open. 

Now the first meaning of the word door, is to 
tear or break open, the same word also meaning 
to pray or to supplicate. Doubt is action, de- 
termination, re-action. Door, or true prayer 
is the point of equilibrium between the two. 

As I carefully regard the nature of my con- 
sciousness, I find that in the day time I am 
actively absorbed with the external and phe- 
nomenal. But that at night, in sleep I pass to 
the re-active, or appearantly unconsicous state. 
Yet, if I awaken suddenly I am often conscious 
of having been interrupted in a train of 
thought ; or of being recalled from distant lands 



First Lessons in Reality. 135 

and scenes which I was visiting in dreams. 

By addition of motion to proportion (bal- 
anced rods), the form thus described builds me 
a spiral house. Also the two rooms described 
by the swinging of my door, marks out to my 
ear a circular house. 

Proportion and Door express the same house 
of two rooms, the one to my esoteric eye, the 
other to my esoteric ear. Proportion and door 
symbolize the true refracts of which the visible 
and audible are the inverted reflects. Further- 
more, Day and Night consciousness express the 
true refracts of color and sound sensation. 
Day is night made visible. Night is day made 
audible. 



LESSON X. 

HOUSE— HEARTH. 



Since my house is spiral, the line between its 
two rooms is a diameter, or two radii (rods, 
rays). The door is one radius, the hearth is 
the other. 

My hearth is the warmth giving vital centre. 
It is the point from whence the Hearth-fire 
radiates and permeates my whole house. 

In my physical system, this vital centre is the 
heart, situated on the left side, while the lungs 
on the right, are the door which swinging in- 
cessantly back and forth, fans the life flame 
glowing on my hearth, or in my heart. Thus I 
see that on the reflected plane, my hearth is my 
heart, and examining the two words I see the 
heart (h) is heart with an aspirate ( a spira) 
added. And this addition of the breathing 



First Lessons in Reality. 137 

which changes heart to hearth signifies the in- 
separable unity of Hearth and Door as well as 
the inseparable unity of heart and breathing. 

Hearth and door as a unity are a diameter, 
as polar opposites, they are two radii. Now the 
point of equilibrium between the two radii is 
the point of radiation, the centre of reflected 
(physical) life, the centre of refracted life 
which is consciousness. And strangely enough 
the word H-ear-th expresses all this in its for- 
mation. The two breathings are the polar op- 
posites, the radii ; while the word ear means to 
shoot, to dart, to ray. 

And this point of radiation, is also the centre 
of my whole house ; for, the revolution of these 
radii about the centre describe the circle which 
bounds my whole house. And since my door 
and my hearth extend from the floor to the 
ceiling, they must in their revolution, describe 
a spiral or cylindrical form of house. My house 



138 Esoteric Lessons. 

is thus my tower. And since to shoot, to ear 
is the centre, the ear of corn is, very truly, the 
symbol of my house, as my tower. But my 
house is consciousness, therefore consciousness 
is my tower, my strength and my defense. 

Just as the ear of corn symbolizes the ex- 
ternal form of my house, so the listening car 
expresses the esoteric reality of consciousness. 
Now ear implies voice, just as heart implies 
breathing, just as hearth implies door. Voice 
is sound thrown out by breath, therefore ear: 
voice : : hearth : door. And this proportion must 
both state, and solve all problems of conscious- 
ness involving the relation of hearth to door. 

The listening ear is the ear leaning, inclining, 
stretching out toward, or, in other words, it is 
the resisting ear. It is the ear resisting, or re 
acting against the vibrations thrown out by the 
voice of my door. List and lust are the same 
in derivation, — list is the resistance to the true 



First Lessons in Reality. 139 

vibrations, lust is the resistance to the reflected 
vibrations. 

Resistance, in itself, is dual, e. g. in the case 
of external sensation; unless my consciousness 
re-acts against the action offered by the polarity 
of external objects, I experience no sense of 
touch. 

Now as long as my consciousness is wholly 
occupied in external and phenomenal resist- 
ance, it knows only the voice and language of 
exoteric consciousness. But after I learn from 
experience of the visible, audible and tangible, 
to comprehend the relation of reflection to re- 
fraction, I come to see, from proportion 
what must be the relation of the hearth to the 
door of my house of consciousness, i. e., since, 
on the physical (reflected) plane, the relation 
of eye to light vibrations, of ear to voice, of 
heart to breathing, but express different de- 
grees of resistance, or forms of the sense of 



140 Esoteric Lessons. 

touch, therefore, on the refracted plane, the re- 
lation of esoteric hearth to esoteric door ex- 
presses the true refract, of which the three- fold 
sense of resistance is the inverted reflect. 

And, accordingly, if I would know the eso- 
teric voice of my door, and acquire the lan- 
guage of its esoteric breathing, so as to discern 
its relation to the esoteric raying (earing) of 
my hearth, then I must combine Knowledge 
and Faith as shown in Proportion. 

Knowledge is the insight into the equilibrium 
of ratios ; Faith is the trust that the refraction 
which I cannot see, is the cause of the reflection 
which I do see; thus Faith is the discerning eye. 

Prayer is the trust that the inaudible vibra- 
tion is the cause of the audible vibration. And 
this inaudible vibration is the still voice which 
the listening ear doors (prays) open, — hears. 

Realizing (ray-izing) is the trust that this 
vital spark of consciousness, impalpable to my 



First Lessons in Reality. 141 

exoteric resistance, is the cause of the flame 
smouldering on my hearth of heart. And this 
vital spark is tangible to the resisting hearth, — ■ 
the pure heart. 

The discerning eye sees the celestial Ray; 
the listening ear communes with It, — the resist- 
ing heart consciously and vitally realizes It. 

This Ray is one with and inseparable from 
its celestial Sun and Source; — this Ray is a 
Thought of the Infinite Mind, and one with In- 
finite Mind. So that when I see the Ray, I also 
see the Sun, for the sun and its rays are one; 
when I know the Thought I also know the 
Mind, for mind and thoughts cannot be sep- 
arated. 

Mind and Thought-rays become one, or, are 
assimilated, through mental pictures. There- 
fore, this pure hearth of heart, this vital centre 
of consciousness, when it resists, or reacts 
against the celestial Thought-ray, not only be- 



142 Esoteric Lessons, 

comes assimilated with the Thought-ray itself, 
but also brings to a vital focus, a mental picture 
of Infinite Mind. 

My true ego, my soul is, therefore, a mental 
picture of the Infinite Mind in process of ex- 
pression. And it takes many and hard lines to 
bring this mental picture to a focus, and to 
emancipate it from its own inverted reflections. 

The Divine Artist acts through the Thought- 
ray. And when my soul consciously re-acts, or 
responds, the work goes on swiftly. More- 
over, since thought and mental picture mu- 
tually imply each other, just as mind implies 
thought, therefore, I am one with Infinite Mind 
as soon as I consciously accept and realize the 
fact of Inseparableness. 

An appeal to consciousness is always ulti- 
mate. The sensations of my body, and the de- 
sires of my terrestrial mind, are the undeniable 
facts of my consciousness, therefore to solve 



First Lessons in Reality. 143 

any problem of soul implied in the statement 
a : b : : x : y is a very simple process of elimina- 
tion; for I always have the two following- equa- 
tions from which to compare and substitute the 
value of x: 

Body [a : b : : sensation : y] 

Finite mind [a : b : : desire : y 
But I know that to realize this inestimable 
value of x will be to cast out the errors of my 
desires, and to heal the diseases of my sensa- 
tions; for the reflection must correspond to the 
refraction. And not only my own errors and 
diseases, but also those of other souls slumber- 
ing in their inner rooms of consciousness. For 
within every inner room there glimmers a celes- 
tial Thought-ray of Infinite Mind. And with- 
in the unity of this Infinite Mind our true con- 
sciousnesses all move and have their being. 

To enter within this inner room and to real- 
ize its inseparable unity with the celestial Man- 



144 Esoteric Lessons. 

sions of all consciousness, is to reverse Night 
and Day, and to awaken and find how soundly 
I have been asleep amid the inverted shadows 
of the true Aurora. 



LESSON XI. 

HEARTH-FIRE— RAY. 



Drawing near my Hearth I now regard the 
fire growing upon its shrine, in order to learn 
from thence, of the celestial ray which trans- 
mutes the flame offered at the Altar of the heart 
into Soul. 

These dancing and gleaming flames upon my 
Hearth are, indeed, very literally transformed 
sunlight, and it was as a perpetual reminder of 
this fact, that, in olden times, in case the hearth- 
fire should, by mischance, go out it would be 
relighted from sunlight by collecting rays to a 



First Lessons in Reality. 145 

focus. So in studying these glowing embers, 
I am but studying inverted sunlight, while sun- 
light in its turn is but reflected Thought-light. 

What first attracts my attention is the fact 
of motion — without this motion, or radiation, 
the entire manifestation of light and heat dis- 
appears. 

Motion is an inseparable factor of this fire 
which consists of polar opposites of fire and 
rays, and a point which is neither fire nor rays, 
but where the two are one, — the point where 
they constantly balance from one to the other 
in an endless circle. 

Just so motion cannot be separated from 
mind and thoughts, any more than thoughts 
can exist apart from mind. In the case of mind 
I term this motion reasoning (derived from 
radius, rod), and thus reasoning is radiation 
both in meaning and derivation. 

Even in the case of my staff which I desig- 



146 Esoteric Lessons. 

nate as inanimate, were it not for a certain de- 
gree of motion it would not exist at all, it 
would vanish entirely from my sight. Thus, 
it is visible because it re-acts against light-vi- 
brations. It is tangible because of certain equi- 
libriums of action and re-action commonly 
termed attraction and repulsion. 

Thus I see that motion, radiation, reasoning 
and existence, are all forms of Ray-ing, and 
ray-ing is the inseparable fourth element, or 
Quarterni in every Unity. Every Unity is an 
inseparable Duality, Trinity and Quarterni. 

Although motion cannot be separated from 
unity, duality and trinity, yet I must distinguish 
between it and the other elements in order to 
comprehend the nature of Force, or Ray-ing, 
before I can divine its meaning, and realize its 
presence upon the altar of my Hearth. 

The ray-ing of these flames before which I 
hold my hands, is of two kinds, viz. : For 



First Lessons in Reality. 147 

every ray-ing out, there is a ray-ing back. Dif- 
ferent gradations of the ray-ing back but cor- 
respond to gradations of the ray-ing forth. 
Action and re-action are equal, or, in other 
words, there is an equilibrium between the 
forms of ray-ing. 

At this point of equilibrium between the 
two, i. e., by the union of the two, are formed 
all manner of figures, mathematical, fantastic 
and beautiful. And as I closely watch them, 
I even discern the colors; now a dart of red, 
now a dart of blue, flashes of purple, and of 
gold. 

But since flames are only inverted sunlight, 
every ray of light, therefore, also carries its 
prism with it, i. e., its re-active form of force 
is its prism by means of which, through infi- 
nite equilibriums of its infinite gradations, it 
images forth infinite colors and forms. 

Now I have already seen that every equilibri- 



148 Esoteric Lessons. 

urn, from the lowest gradation to the highest 
is a statement and re-statement of the problem 
of the Soul. Therefore each and every grada- 
tion, must, in itself, be a statement and re- 
statement of some different degree and phase 
of the general statement. And at once the 
whole visible universe looms up before me, no 
longer vague, chaotic and meaningless, but as a 
sublime universal language, which appeals, 
through sensation, to my whole nature. 

( 1.) Each vibration, and shade of color, is a 
reflected vibration and shade of Thought, of 
which it is a polar opposite, and from which it 
cannot be separated. So that when I once 
possess the key which translates the symbol to 
its thought, I am never at the mercy of a blind 
chance, but read according to an unalterable 
law. And each prismatic color, not only re- 
flects a thought, but the seven together are 
spokes of a wheel, which by their relation to 



First Lessons in Reality. 149 

each other by their difficult gradations of refrac- 
tions and reflections, reflect various thought re- 
lations. And moreover this wheel when re- 
volved at a certain velocity blends the seven 
colors into the pure white light, — and this also 
expresses a thought. 

(2.) Each vibration of sound, but speaks to 
my listening ear in this same universal lan- 
guage. It pronounces the words spelt out to 
my eyes. 

(3.) Through the resistance of touch this 
universal language becomes a vital, living real- 
ity to me. I not only see and hear, but I feel 
it throughout every nerve and fibre of my body. 
I sensibly realize myself as an inseparable menv 
ber of the written word, perhaps only as a punc- 
tuation mark, yet in some way inseparably con- 
nected with the sense of the whole. 

Touch implies desire, and passing from sen- 
sation to the second spire, or coil of my nature. 



150 Esoteric Lessons. 

I see at once, from the very necessities of finite 
desire, action and the assimilation of the two, 
that this universal language is a drama in 
which I am a blind puppet, obeying a hidden law 
of entrances and exits (births and deaths), and 
in which I but repeat a speech as pronounced 
to me, trippingly on the tongue, with no more 
conception of the plot of the play, and the real 
purpose for which it is enacted, than had Ham- 
let's players of the deep and hidden purpose for 
which he employed them. 

But at length my consciousness passes the 
curve of the third coil of my spiral nature, and 
grasps the equilibrium of ratios, and combines 
the knowledge and faith which mutually imply 
each other, into a statement, — a statement 
which is also a solution of the esoteric sense 
of this great drama. 

As I come to understand the external con- 
struction of this universal language, I see that 



First Lessons in Reality. 151 

our modern printing press is but an adaptation 
on the finite plane, of the principle according to 
which the Infinite Mind has published abroad 
throughout the universe, his divine thoughts 
and purposes. Therefore, to know my part, 
I must first learn the letters and words as they 
seem, then learn to read them upside down, and 
from right to left. 

In the second place I must learn the exoteric 
meaning and action of my part in the drama. 
And here, as before, the Ray of Light is my clew 
of thread, which alone reveals the path through 
the labyrinth of bewildering shadows, to the 
abode of the Minotaur of finite desire and ac- 
tion. For the fabulous beast Minotaur, which 
was fed by the sacrifice of the choicest Athenian 
youths, but personifies the finite, or earthly 
mind, with its idol worship, — with its sacrifices 
and oblations of the higher nature to the lower. 
And this Minotaur must be slain by the true 



152 Esoteric Lessons. 

Theseus, before I can start out to know and act 
my part in the esoteric drama. 

The Ray is, therefore, first, in itself, the en- 
tire alphabet of the universal language. For, 
by its two forms of force, and point of equi- 
librium, it furnishes the point and lines accord- 
ing to which the whole visible universe is pic- 
tured out to my senses. 

The Ray is, second, in itself, the fire (inverted 
sunlight), — the fuel, the father, the food of 
sensation, in its search after the Minotaur. 
Food and father are the same in derivation. 
And the finite mind is indeed the father of the 
body, in that it provides and cares for all its 
demands. But the finite mind is also the father 
or food of the Soul during the period of ap- 
prenticeship to the Shadows. 

It is the reflected father of the Soul, and from 
it the Soul must learn of its celestial Father. 
Every time one finite mind goes out in the ap- 



First Lessons in Reality. 153 

pearance called death, then the Soul re-kindles 
its finite food (fuel) from its celestial Father, 
or Thought-ray, and goes on anew, to learn 
its part in the drama, until I come to discern 
this celestial Ray in my heart, and realize this 
vital spark of consciousness as re-acting (re- 
sponding) to it as its celestial Father. Then is 
the Ray the force by which I solve the mean- 
ing of the words about me; and divine their 
significance in the great drama. Then finally 
will consciousness be transmuted into Soul, 
qualified to enact its part in the larger drama, 
since having become one with its own celestial 
Father, it is also one with the Father of All 
Lights. 



LESSON XII. 

HEARTH-FIRE— IMAGES. 



These mysterious forms which are constantly 
appearing and vanishing amid the flames glow- 
ing on my Hearth next claim my attention, — 
these faces, beautiful or weird, which suddenly 
gleam with an intelligence that I am rarely 
quick enough to interpret, ere the glance has 
melted into another expression, and assumed 
another face. 

I have already seen that these images occur 
at the point of equilibrium between the two 
forms of force, or, the point where polar oppo- 
sites are one. 

Consciousness is, therefore, the focus where 
form, or images, is made clear, — made mani- 



First Lessons in Reality. 155 

fest. The word manifest at once interests me. 
The primary sense of the word man, manna, 
manes, is image, form, shade; festu was a small 
staff used to point out letters to children when 
learning to read, therefore the first meaning of 
man and festu joined together in the word 
man-i-fest evidently is to point out, or make 
clear the image, form, man, manna, manes. And 
this I take to be the object, or purpose of all 
manifestation, viz., to bring to a vital focus 
the divine image of Soul. Accordingly I re- 
gard images as of four degrees, or classes, the 
first two being reflected and terrestrial, the last 
two being refracted and celestial. 

(1) (2) (3) (4) 

Man : Manes : : Soul : Manna. 

. ( 1 . ) Man, or body, is the external and visible 
expression of the image. 

(2.) My present finite mind is a manes in 
process of expression. 



156 Esoteric Lessons. 

(3.) Soul is a mental picture (image) of 
the Infinite Mind in process of development. 

(4.) The celestial Thought-ray of Infinite 
Mind is the Manna, True Food, or Father of the 
Soul. 

For every thought of my finite mind there is 
an accompanying mental picture, existing, so to 
speak, in my erwn mental light, and held at a 
focus by my consciousness. Now, obviously, if 
this mental picture is reflected to other minds 
within the range of my mental light, this mental 
picture will be mirrored on their screen, or tent 
of consciousness, and since mental picture can- 
not be separated from thought, their minds will 
also think my thought. This illustrates the 
way all thoughts come and go; for all minds 
are factors of an inseparable Unity, and are, 
therefore, in a constant state of action and re- 
action. 

Now while my senses are wholly absorbed 



First Lessons in Reality. 157 

in the external, I never consciously discern 
mental pictures. They are an entirely unrecog- 
nized factor in my mental machinery. And, in 
the present age, all inner vision is sternly re- 
manded to the realm of fantasy as the next door 
to insanity, and proof positive of morbid con- 
ditions of body and mind. Therefore, if I 
would ever know the truth of the inner vision, 
I must endure the infamy of being one who 
dreams dreams, and sees visions. (However, 
a very little experience and reflection soon con- 
vinces me that the mutual polarity of thought 
and mental picture explains all phenomena of 
dreams, clairvoyance, premonitions, appari- 
tions, etc., etc.) 

I have already found that all finite action is 
dual, i. e., it is passion, and it is oblation. Now 
oblation is of various degrees. 

(1.) Part of my daily actions are the sacri- 
fices of the lower forms of life to maintain my 



158 Esoteric Lessons. 

own bodily existence. But in return for these 
acts, certain sacrifices are required at my hands. 
The scales of Proportion measure out to me just 
as I measure out to others, for every scrap and 
muscle of animal flesh which I take into my 
system is a pictured scroll of suffering, fear of 
death, and sense of deprivation of an heritage 
to life. These words my sense of touch reports 
faithfully to my consciousness, and I myself, 
in my turn, am a constant slave to these same 
fears and sufferings. Yet, I must pass through 
a long period of apprenticeship in sacrificing to 
these images until I learn the esoteric meaningof 
the word sacrifice upon this plane of my nature. 
Then I will be enabled to sustain my physical 
life upon the vegetables, grains and fruits of 
the Earth, which are more directly transformed 
sunlight, and thus symbolic of the celestial 
manna. 

(2.) The social or moral acts of my daily 



First Lessons in Reality. 1 59 

life are sacrifices to the manes. The Manes are 
the shades of the departed. They are the cast 
off reflects of the soul, — photographs of soul, 
existing in the magnetic light. And since they 
are photographs of true consciousness, they 
must partake, in a degree, of the living Ray- 
ality they reflect. And must, therefore, possess 
a terrestrial and finite consciousness, capable of 
communicating (through mental pictures) 
with other intelligences. These finite con- 
sciousnesses with which I am surrounded con- 
stantly reflect to me my own past thoughts and 
deeds, and thus impel me to perform again the 
same acts and deeds. If I strongly set myself 
to do right, then my acts are sacrifices to the 
good manes, but if I am selfish and cruel, then 
I sacrifice to the evil manes. But, more than 
this, just as I am in a most complex social 
relation with other minds about me, so are my 
manes, also, involved in this same complex re- 



160 Esoteric Lessons. 

lation with the manes of other minds. More- 
over, just as these photographs (manes) reflect 
good or evil thoughts to me, so they also reflect 
diseased, and otherwise marked physical, pe- 
culiarities to me. So that if I would maintain 
my physical health, I must be able to discern 
these shades which hang unseemly pictures in 
my House of consciousness. I must tear down 
the evil manes, and hang up the good manes. 

(3.) These sacrifices to the good manes are 
absolutely essential to my progress toward my 
realization of soul ; for the manes feed upon 
my finite mind and body, just as I feed upon 
the lower forms of life. These sacrifices are 
the third form of oblations, i. e., they are offer- 
ings to Soul; for, the soul, in its turn, also 
feeds upon the manes. 

(4.) The fourth form of oblation is that of 
the soul to its celestial Manna. And, although, 
while embodied I must practice all four forms 



First Lessons in Reality. 161 

of sacrifices, yet I can never catch a gleam of 
soul and its implied eternity without hence- 
forward directing my entire course of action 
(oblation) so as to partake of the food which 
is mercy and not sacrifice, — which is love and 
not suffering, and finally to sustain myself 
wholly upon the celestial Manna. 

Now, the soul as a mental picture of Infinite 
Mind, is of divine origin, poor, sinless, and 
perfect, in that it contains within itself, in the 
germ, all that is eventually evolved. And its 
evolution is the result of its own inner force, 
united to that of its own Thought-ray. Time 
is the period of its process of expression, but the 
soul has eternity back of it, and before it. 

And at the end of its time, — its great day of 
Memory, when the soul, freed from birth and 
death, is ready to collect together different 
earth lives as so many events in one great whole, 
— and is waiting to put on its beautiful gar- 



1 62 Esoteric Lessons. 

merits, so as to go and dwell forever with its 
Father, and enact its parts of the larger Drama, 
within the celestial Mansions; then the stern 
Judge Minos draws or pours, these robes, or 
manes, from out his Urn, and only such as are 
worthy of eternity can be strung as beads on 
memory's silver cord. 

The soul can assume only such characters as 
are fitted to be enacted in the presence of di- 
vinity. And the manes which have in no way 
reflected the true ego, but only its contradictory, 
will go out in the outer darkness of nothingness. 
For as they exist only as contradictories of the 
sours light, among the inverted shadows, they 
have failed to lay hold of the true refraction, 
which alone is entity, which is eternal life, and 
when the soul's light is indrawn from the ter- 
restrial, to its celestial Source, these inverted 
reflections will be utterly dispelled. 

However, until the end of time, it is pos- 



First Lessons in Reality. ■ 163 

sible, for even the contradictory manes to be 
quickened. For, just as it is possible for me, 
when the visible life of my friend goes out, to 
hold his manes, spellbound, and in agony, by 
my grief, just so it is possible for me who have 
House, Food and Ray-ment to shelter the home- 
less, to feed the hungry, and to clothe the naked. 
Thus can I rescue this manes, and herein is the 
oblation which is Love and not suffering. But 
the grief of despair is, in truth, a refined form 
of vivisection. 

LESSON XIII. 

HEARTH-FIRE— LAW. 



yea : nay : : Yea : Nay. 
The Law of Man-i-fest-ation, or of pointing 
out Images, is the Law of Contradictories. 
• Contradictory Opposites are inverted and 
left-sided reflections of Real or Polar Oppo- 
sites. Polar Opposites mutually imply and in- 



164 Esoteric Lessons. 

elude each other, while Contradictory Opposites 
mutually deny and exclude each other. 

And just as it is impossible for me to walk 
in two opposite directions at the same time ; just 
as it is impossible for me to affirm both of two 
Contradictions to be true and avoid mental 
chaos and nothingness, just so it is impossible 
for me to affirm the identity of Real Opposites 
and Contradictory Opposites, and avoid spiri- 
tual chaos and nothingness. 

To grasp this distinction is to make the 
choice between the Real and the un-real, be- 
tween Light and darkness, between Life and 
death, between the Eternal and the temporal, 
between Wholeness and chaos. And it is the 
spiritual insight implied in this choice which is 
so beautifully expressed in the myth of Ariad- 
na's Clew of Thread. Ariadna's mystical clew 
of thread symbolizes this intuitive discerning 
of the relation of True Opposites to contra- 



First Lessons in Reality. 165 

dictory opposites which will lead the true The- 
seus safely through the mazes of the Labyrinth 
of inverted reflections, and enable him to de- 
stroy the Minotaur of sense and seeming. 

The fact that Ariadna's twist of thread sym- 
bolizes this inner, intuitive Ray, is evident from 
the derivation of the word twist, as well as from 
the formation itself of a twist. Thus the Greek 
word skiza is a twist, a torch, a flame. Our 
word scissors is also derived from this same 
word. 

Again, in its formation, a twist expresses 
the mystery of this Law, thus the twist is com- 
posed of two strands (each strand double), 
which are first twisted in opposite directions, 
then by being doubled back upon each other, 
the two strands fly magically into one mani- 
festation. 

In the thread of light the Law is expressed 
in the dual, and vet unitarv manifestation of re- 



1 66 Esoteric Lessons. 

f racted ray and its inverted reflected ray. 

The scissors also expressed the Law in their 
construction of two blades fastened at the cen- 
tre, by a point, or pin. When opened they 
image a cross, while the movement itself, of 
cutting, expresses the contradictories ; i. e. } the 
two blades come together and cut only as a re- 
sult of the movement which forced them apart. 
This movement of the scissors is also the move- 
ment of the hand bellows, which impart breath ■ 
to the flame. 

The thread is the path in the Labyrinth ; the 
torch is the light on the path; the scissors cut 
along the narrow thread which twists in and 
out amid the mazy shadows ; while the three 
are all one. They are the Parcae. 

In order to still further study the Law of 
Contradictories, I take the word Health, and 
its contradictory Disease. Following the Quar- 
tern! of word as already given in the lesson or 



First Lessons in Reality. 167 

assimilating, thus : 

(1.) The outer expression of disease upon 
the body in various forms, is the external sym- 
bol of the word. 

(2.) On the plane of finite mind, dis-ease 
is lack of ease resulting from the erroneous 
judgment of a finite Health apart from Infinite 
Wholeness. 

(3.) My conscious experience of the word is 
the point of equilibrium between the finite and 
Infinite meaning of the word. 

(4.) The true and celestial force and signifi- 
cance of the word completes the Quarterni, and 
Health would therefore be wholeness, com- 
pleteness and perfection. 

On the reflected, or finite plane, Health as 
ordinarily understood is, in truth, lack of 
wholeness, inasmuch as it is taken for granted 
to be purely physical, and something apart from 
spiritual wholeness. It therefore signifies, not 



i68 Esoteric Lessons. 

the balanced staff, but only the physical end up, 
of the staff, and the location of consciousness 
in the body which will surely lead the finite 
ego to seek bodily pleasures. This tendency of 
consciousness will inevitably lead to pain, and 
the finite ego thus will see-saw from one end of 
the staff to the other until it maintains its po- 
sition at the centre. 

Accordingly consciousness located in the 
body, and giving a sense of physical lustiness, 
is, in reality, incompleteness and lack of Whole- 
ness. While pain, which in itself is only the 
other end up, of the staff, is only a second woe, 
and consciousness still out of its true position. 
But the equilibrium of these two woes, finally 
enable consciousness to assume its equilibrium. 
They teach the way to true Health. Without 
the action of the woe of pleasure, and the re- 
action of the woe of pain, consciousness could 
never realize its celestial heritage. Herein is 



First Lessons in Reality. 169 

the Worth of the two woes. Pleasure is as 
much a dis-ease as is pain. Pleasure and pain 
are head and foot of the staff of disease, and 
disease is the inverted reflection, or, contra- 
dictory of Health. 

When I can invert Disease and read it from 
right to left, then I know the mystery of Health, 
and not before. Pleasure and pain are a double 
strand twisted together into the reflected half 
of a word. This reflected half is, either Dis- 
ease, or finite Health, but the other half, the 
contradictory of Disease, is the perfect ease of 
true Health, while Wholeness is the equilibri- 
um between the refraction and reflection which 
cuts or distinguishes between the inseparable; 
for true cutting is uniting. It mysteriously 
combines the double strands which were twisted 
in opposite directions. 

Thus this process of healing is the process of 
assimilating, and assimilating is Reading (rod- 



170 Esoteric Lessons. 

ing) — exoteric and esoteric reading, therefore 
healing is reading. Exoteric healing with min- 
erals and drugs is only exoteric reading and an 
indispensable first step toward esoteric reading, 
or healing. I must learn the symbols of words 
before I can learn the words. But when I come 
to know that healing, reading and assimilating 
take place through Images, then there is no 
longer need of communicating with external 
words. I can communicate directly through 
the Images. The Images communicate my 
thought without my going out to hunt up a 
clumsy drug or mineral to act as interpreter. 

Again, with our lips we all speak foreign 
tongues to each other, but the Images speak 
the language of the heart ; there is no misunder- 
standing them. 

The Law of Contradictories is also the Law 
of communication as well as the Law of mani- 
festation, for the object and purpose of man-i- 



First Lessons in Reality. lyi 

fest-ation is communication. And if assimilat- 
ing, reading and healing are all different de- 
grees of communication, then must this Law 
of Contradictories be the Law of The Most 
High, mystically expressed as Yea, yea; Nay, 
nay, but which translated in terms of staff or 
proportion, reads 



yea : nay : : Yea : Nay. yea and nay 
are contradictory or reflected opposites of 



Yea and Nay the true and Polar Opposites. 

The force with which the terrestrial fibres 
of pleasure and pain twist away from the ce- 
lestial fibres they reflect (contradict), but ex- 
press the force with which the two strands will 
enfold each other when the finite will removes 
the pressure with which it clings to its idols and 
turns toward the true ray, and toward its ce- 
lestial Source. 



172 Esoteric Lessons. 

Healing, — making whole, is therefore, the 
last and greatest Word for me to learn. It is 
the process of combining the contradictory parts 
of the drama into a magnificent Whole, and 
entering into the spirit of the Divine Author; 
It is a recalling of the parts I have been learn- 
ing since the beginning of time. It is the as- 
suming of the robes and characters I have been 
so long and painfully elaborating. And finally 
it is a swinging out from time into eternity to 
enact a part prepared for me from the begin- 
ning. 

Looking out into this vast Universe I see 
only Mind in process of evolution. Each ray 
is a Thought-ray in development by means of 
refraction and reflection. Equilibrium, or 
Central-point, whenever it occurs, is Conscious- 
ness in process of realization. Motion is 
Reasoning in process of radiation. The Reason- 
ing which is spiral and Spiritual. 



LESSON XIV. 

CONCLUSION— THE WALL. 



Will implies Freedom. If I have no power 
of choice, then I, evidently, have no will of my 
own. Moreover, if I have no Freedom (im- 
plied by Will), then I am the most abject of 
slaves. 

In the ancient ceremony of manumission the 
slave was touched with the rod, as a symbol of 
the fact that the ray frees from bonds of de- 
lusion. 

Again in the rite of Knighthood, which ad- 
mits to the privilege of bearing arms, the rod 
bore an important part. 

Accordingly before I can enter upon my 
heritage, before I can seat myself upon my 
Throne and assume my Scepter, I must, first, 
be freed from slavery, and, second, I must be 



174 Esoteric Lessons. 

endowed with the privilege of bearing arms. 
But before I can receive a scepter and rule I 
must know hozv to rule, — before I can receive 
the honors of Knighthood I must know how to 
build a Wall and defend my possessions. 

(i.) To know how to rule I must be able 
to balance the rod of Justice and Mercy, Now, 
Justice and Mercy are. not Contradictories, as 
the world seems to have taken for granted, but 
they are Polar Opposites of the same rod. They 
mutually imply each other, and are simply un- 
thinkable apart; for Justice without Mercy is 
not just; — for Mercy without Justice is blindly 
cruel, and therefore not Mercy at all. 

Now the perfect equilibrium between Justice 
and Mercy is perfect power of choice, or perfect 
Freedom. For, since when I am ruled I am 
not free, if I am ever ruled in the slightest de- 
gree by my affections, then I am neither just 
nor merciful, and if my sense of Justice pre- 



First Lessons in Reality. 175 

ponderates over my affection, then I am neither 
just nor merciful, and therefore am not free. 
It thus directly follows that I am not free, un- 
til I balance the rod of Justice and Mercy, and, 
moreover, since Freedom (power of choice) 
implies Will, it also directly follows that when 
I am free, then I shall know the meaning of 
Will, and not before. 

Now, just as true Freedom is the exact con- 
tradictory of freedom on the finite plane, — so 
true Will is the exact contradictory of will on 
the finite plane. And since will implies free- 
dom, my true Will is my emancipation from 
slavery, and it is also (as I have just seen) the 
power which confers the right to rule. My true 
Will, therefore, becomes my Wall of Strength, 
which I next consider how to build. 

(2.) Our word Wall is from the Latin, as 
well as from Saxon, Dutch, etc. In the Saxon 
it is the same word as weal, strength, soundness, 



176 Esoteric Lessons. 

etc. The Latin vallus is a stake or post, and 
doubtless the wall originally was a palisade of 
posts. The primary sense of vallus is a shoot, 
suggesting at once ray, ear, etc. From this I 
also see at once hozv to build my wall. I must 
concentrate together rods as troops. All my 
forces, or possessions, I must con-centre, as con- 
verging lines or rays, so that they all meet at 
a common point. 

And thus to build my wall of Will I must 
acquire the Power of Concentration. 

But before I can do this, and in order to ac- 
quire the Power of Concentration, I must make 
the last and the greatest oblation of all. Be- 
fore I can know the true Will I must offer up 
its contradictory. I must resign the finite will 
with all its finite desires, before I can know the 
True. But, manifestly, it is utter folly to make 
this offering before it is mine to make i. e., be- 
fore I am Free. And since to be free I must 



First Lessons in Reality. 177 

know how to balance the rod of Justice and 
Mercy, I turn once more to consider again this 
rod. 

Freedom is the point of equilibrium between 
Justice and Mercy. Will is the power of Con- 
cent-er-ing, or of Ray-ing about the Centre, 
accordingly I discern the very Highest Mani- 
festation of the Quart erni. 

Head. Foot. Centre. Motion. 

Justice: Mercy: : Freedom: Will. 

This proportion expresses the Quarterni of 
Ray evolved to its highest power. And when 
my soul realizes this perfect Harmony, then I 
am forever free from the illusions of birth and 
death. And Will is the Motive force which 
will propel, throughout Eternity, the perfectly 
balanced rod of Justice and Mercy. 

Therefore this Power of Concentering is the 
last and greatest acquirement. Its attainment 
is the great Weal / its lack is the great Woe. 
To secure it is to realize Wholeness, to fail 



178 Esoteric Lessons. 

is Chaos and Nothingness. And in order to 
attain this great Weal I must offer up the ob- 
lation of a true High Priest. And in order to 
secure the Perfect Peace of Wholeness I must 
fight the fight of the True Warrior. A War- 
rior capable of bearing and hurling a lance. I, 
therefore, turn to the Staff with which I 
started. This conclusion is, after all, only an- 
other beginning. The Ray of Light is now 
my Lance } armed with which I continue my 
spiral and unending course in Reality. 



APPENDIX. 



OUTLINE LESSON IN OPTICS. 

I. Refraction. 

Rays of light in passing* obliquely from one 

medium to another are bent (refracted) from 

their course, — the degree of bending (refrac- 



*Perpendicular rays pass directly through 
without being bent, 



First Lessons in Reality. 



1 79 



tion) depending upon the density, or rarity of 
the medium. 

Thus in passing into a medium of greater 
density (e. g., from air to water), rays will be 
bent towards a perpendicular. But in passing 
from a denser to a rarer medium (e. g., from 
water to air), they will be bent from a perpen- 
dicular towards a horizontal. 

(a.) Let A B 
represent a sur- 
face of water, 
then the perpen- 
dicular ray D C 
will pass to D E. 

B (&.) ' But the 

oblique ray F C, 
instead of passing 
• . i to F I will be bent 
at C and pass to F 
G, or towards the 
perpendicular. 





i8o 



Esoteric Lessons. 



(c.) The oblique ray G C in passing from 
water to air (from denser to rarer medium) 
will be bent at Q and instead of passing to G H 
will be bent to G F, or towards the horizontal 
A. B. 

II. Reflection. 

Rays of light falling obliquely upon a pol- 
ished surface are thrown off in a new direction, 
and the angles of contact (incidence) and the 
angles of departure (reflection) are always 
equal. 

Let A B repre- 
sent a polished 
surface, then the 
perpendicular ray 
D C falling upon 
this surface will 
-b be thrown directly 
back from C to D. 
But the oblique ray E C will be thrown off 



First Lessons in Reality. 181 

in the direction C F, and the angle G will eqvial 
the angle H. 

The more nearly perpendicular the ray E C, 
the more nearly perpendicular will be the ray 
C F, — or again, the more nearly horizontal the 
ray E C, the more nearly horizontal will be the 
ray C F. Yet the angles H and G will always 
be equal ; for the size of the angle H implies the 
size of the angle G, just as the direction of the 
ray E C implies the direction of the ray C F. 

III. Relation of Refraction to Reflec- 
tion. 

All oblique rays of light, in passing into our 
atmosphere must be more or less bent before 
they reach reflecting surfaces, and must there- 
fore, be Refracted, or Incident Rays before 
they can be Reflected Rays. 

And since Reflected rays and angles depend 
upon Incident rays and angles, it directly fol- 



1 82 Esoteric Lessons. 

lows that the relation of Refraction to Reflec- 
tion is that of cause to effect, of action to re- 
action, or in other words, Refraction and Re- 
flection are polar opposites which mutually im- 
ply each other. 

Every direct and true Refraction implies an 
inverted Reflection, and the existence of the 
one proves the existence of the other. 

Sight, Heat, Sound, Motion and Thought 
are all manifested through Refraction and Re- 
flection. 

Questions. 

i. How are rays of light bent? 

2. How are rays of light bent in passing into 
a medium of greater density? 

3. How are they bent on passing into a rarer 
medium ? 

4. How are rays of light thrown off from a 
polished surface? 

5. What are angles of. Incidence and Reflec- 



First Lessons in Reality. 183 

tion? 

6. How are they always equal ? 

7. What is the relation of Refraction to Re- 
flection ? — Give the reason why. 



LESSON L— THE STAFF. 

Questions. 

1. What is the Supreme Reality of the Uni- 
verse; and how illustrated in its unity and 
duality by mind and thoughts ? 

2. How is the unity and duality of a lumi- 
• nous body (e. g., the sun) illustrated by sun 
and rays? 

3. Illustrate the unity and duality of the 
staff, or, rod of light ? 

4. How is the trinity comprised in the rod? 
How in the sun ? How in the mind ? 

5. What is the relation of motion to the staff, 
to the luminous body, and to mind ? 



184 Esoteric Lessons. 

6. What is the Ouarterni of the staff ? 

7. Of this Ouarterni which represents ter- 
restrial dualism, and which celestial dualism? 

8. What is the Quarterni of a luminous 
body, e. g., the sun ? 

9. Of this Ouarterni which represents ter- 
restrial, and which celestial dualism? 

10. What is the Ouarterni of mind ? 

11. Of this Quarterni which represents ter- 
restrial, and which celestial dualism? 

12. What does the rod symbolize? 



LESSON II— RAY-MENT— VISIBLE. 
Questions. 

1. What is Refraction of light? 

2. What is Reflection of light? 

3. What is the relation of Refraction to Re- 
flection? 

4. How do Refraction, Reflection, and point 
of equilibrium correspond to the staff? 



First Lessons in Reality. 185 

5. What is the relation of a terrestrial to a 
celestial body ? 

6. What is the four-fold formation of body ? 

7. How do the four elements of body corre- 
spond to the Quart erni as expressed in the 
staff? 



LESSON III.— RAY-MENT — AUDIBLE. 
Questions. 

1. What are the Visible Numerals? 

2. How are they used in drawing, and in 
measuring ? 

3. What do they symbolize? 

4. What are the Invisible Numerals ? 

5. How are they used in counting? 

6. What do the odd numbers symbolize, and 
what do the even numbers symbolize? 

7. What is the relation of counting to meas- 
uring? 



1 86 Esoteric Lessons. 

LESSON IV.— RAY-MENT— TANGIBLE. 

Questions. 

i. How are touch, sight and sound all forms 
of Resistance? 

2. How do numbers express Resistance, and 
how can Resistance be overcome ? 

3. What is the relation of touch to the other 
forms of Resistance? 

4. What must be the nature of the Interior 
three-fold sense of Resistance? 

5. What is the meaning and purpose of this 
Interior sense? 

6. How is it developed and realized ? 

7. How is sensation elevated to Thought ? 



First Lessons in Reality. 187 

LESSON V.— FOOD— HUNGER. 
Questions. 

1. What is the relation of desire to body, 
and to finite mind ? 

2. What is the distinction between ex-oteric 
and es-oteric desire ? 

3. What is Idolatry? 

4. What is the penalty of Idolatry ? 

5. What is the distinction between reflected 
and true ego ? 

6. How is the true ego clothed and fed ? 

7. How must the true ego obtain its final 
emancipation from birth and death ? 



LESSON VI.— FOOD— EATING. 

Questions. 

1. How must finite action, from its nature, 
be contradictory? 



1 88 Esoteric Lessons. 

2. Why is finite action, Passion? 

3. How is finite action, Oblation? 

4. What is the nature of exoteric Oblation? 

5. What is the nature of esoteric Oblation? 

6. What is the significance of the myth of 
Saturn ? 

7. How does the true ego and its offspring 
become one ? 



LESSON VIL— FOOD— ASSIMILATING. 

Questions. 

1. How is physical food assimilated? 

2. How is mental food assimilated ? 

3. What is the relation of external word to 
mental picture? 

4. What is the Quarterni of word ? 

5. What is the relation of refracted word to 
reflected word ? 

6. What is assimilation on the part of the 
true ego ? 



First Lessons in Reality. 189 

7. How does this assimilation give power to 
rule words ? 



LESSON VIII.— HOUSE— PROPOR- 
TION. 

Questions. 

1. What is the relation of House to Ray-* 
ment? 

2. What is the relation of Proportion to the 
Visible? 

3. What is exoteric Proportion? 

4. What is esoteric Proportion? 

5. How is Proportion a statement of the 
problem of the Soul ? 

6. How is Proportion a solution of the prob- 
lem of the Soul ? 

7. What is the relation of Knowledge to 
Faith? 



190 Esoteric Lessons. 

LESSON IX.— HOUSE— DOOR. 
Questions. 

1. What is Doubt? 

2. What is Determination ? 

3. What is Door? 

4. What is the relation of Doubt, Deter- 
mination and Door to each other ? 

5. What is the relation of Door to Propor- 
tion? 

6. Describe the two forms of Consciousness ? 

7. What is their relation to color and sound ? 



LESSON X.— HOUSE— HEARTH. 
Questions. 

1. What does Hearth symbolize on the re- 
flected plane? 

2. What does it symbolize on the refracted 
plane ? 



First Lessons in Reality. 191 

3. What is symbolized in the relation be- 
tween Hearth and Door ? 

4. What are the two forms of Resistance ? 

5. How is true Resistance, Prayer? 

6. What is the relation of the true Ego to 

the Infinite Mind ? 

7. What is the relation of Night conscious- 
ness to Day consciousness ? 



LESSON XL— HEARTH-FIRE— RAY. 
Questions. 

1. How is Motion, Raying? 

2. What are the two forms of Raying, and 
what their relation to each other ? 

3. How is the Ray also Prism, and what re- 
sults from the equilibrium between Ray and 
Prism? 

4. How is the visible universe a universal 
language on the plane of sensation ? 



192 Esoteric Lessons. 

5. How is it a drama on the plane of finite 
mind? 

6. How is consciousness an actor learning its 
part? 

7. What must be the true refracted and ce- 
lestial Drama, and how must Consciousness 
learn and act its part in this larger Drama? 



LESSON XIL— HEARTH-FIRE— 
IMAGES. 

Questions. 

1 . What are Images ? 

2. How are they manifested ? 

3. Why are they manifested ? 

4. How must we sacrifice to Images? 

5. Why must we sacrifice to Images? 

6. What is Memory ? 

7. What is the relation of the Soul to Mem- 
ory, to Time, and to Eternity ? 



First Lessons in Reality. 193 

LESSON XIII.— HEARTH-FIRE— LAW. 
Questions. 

1. What is the distinction between the two 
forms of Opposites ? 

2. How is this distinction an absolute Ne- 
cessity to spiritual insight ? 

3. How do the Tzvist, the Torch, and the 
Scissors illustrate the Law? 

4. How is the Law of Contradictories the 
Law of Manifestation? 

5. How is it the Law of Communication ? 

6. How is it the Law of Healing? 

7. How is Healing, in its turn, the Supreme 
Word of the L T niverse? 



194 Esoteric Lessons. 

LESSON XIV.— CONCLUSION— THE 
WALL. 

Questions. 

i. How does Freedom imply Will? 

2. How does the perfect equilibrium between 
Justice and Mercy imply Freedom? 

3. How is Will, Wall? 

4. How is the Wall, Power of Concentra- 
tion? 

5. What is the Ouarterni of Scepter? 

6. What is the Beginning and End of 
Reality? 



A TOUR 



THROUGH THE ZODIAC 



SEQUEL TO 



First Lessons In Reality 



LESSON I. 

THE WARRIOR. 



As a slave, in bondage to sense and seem- 
ing, with a simple staff in my hand, I started 
out in my first studies in search for the 
Pole-Star of truth — for truth implies free- 
dom. 

But now I commence the second round of 
my spiral ladder as a warrior, armed with 
a lance, for I have learned that I must be 
able to defend my possessions and acqui- 
sitions in truth before I can obtain a scep- 
ter and rule. 

Now a scepter has two ends; a head, or 
master, who wields it, and a foot, or slave, 
who is u under therod\" and, since these 
two ends cannot be detached, the ruler 



198 Esoteric Lessons. 

and the serf are the two halves of a unit, 
while at this point of unity is the true 
King. 

So, in my own individual case, at the 
same time that I am a slave I am also a 
master. I comprise the two within my 
system. If I have been a slave of some, 
I must also have been a tyrant to others. 

Therefore, since the King alone is free, 
before I can realize freedom I must be able 
to maintain the point of equilibrium be- 
tween the tyrant and the slave, and it 
will, most assuredly, be an incessant war- 
fare until this harmony is experienced. 
The true warrior must combine into a 
unity the slave of sense, or sensualist, on 
the one hand, with the tyrant, who would 
ignore and destroy sense, on the other. 

But I wish, in entering upon so formid- 
able an undertaking, for a fixed point 



A Tour Through the Zodiac. 199 

from whence to start. I must have a cen- 
ter in order to describe a circumference; 
yet, since the point of equilibrium is just 
the thing for which I am about to engage 
in warfare, I hesitate no longer, but at 
once rush forward into the melee of shad- 
ows, with my lance poised ready to hurl. 
But lo! my lance, poised in my hand, turns 
my ray-of-light — my clew-of-thread, and 
the shadows are already breaking before 
the mystic point of this lance. Having 
hurled it, I watch it revolve as it speeds on 
its course, and at its mystic point, where 
it strikes and refracts, I behold the bow 
of promise — the beautiful seven-point- 
star. This star is the point I seek, the 
mystic point of radiation, of equilibrium, 
of harmony. Its seven colors, blending 
through infinite tints and shades into the 
pure white light, are the seven-fold mys- 



200 Esoteric Lessons. 

teries of Unity in Infinity, the Unity-in- 
Infinity which is the mystery of Godliness. 

In my " First Studies of Reality" this 
seven-point-star at once divided itself 
(the first and last, however, being in 
reality one, or the mystic Thirteen) into 
polar-opposites, or chromatics of fourteen 
lessons, just as each of the seven colors 
has its complementary ray, which is invis- 
ible to exoteric vision, the esoteric quality 
of which may be expressed by the eso- 
teric terms written over each color. (See 
diagram of seven-point-star.) 

Starting with red, the zenith of the 
figure, and the color least refracted from 
the celestial white, I observe that the 
figure outlined by the point in the circum- 
ference, the lines, staff and wall, the dot- 
ted lines, and the point at the center is a 
diamond, the hardest, or most fixed, sub- 



A Tour Through the Zodiac. 201 



v s 



stance known; and well does the diamond 
symbolize my throne and point-of-equilib- 
rium. And, surely, only the highest wis- 
dom can ever enable me to attain this 
balance, and all wisdom truly begins and 
ends with it. It is Alpha and Omega. 

The visible red is symbolic of blood, 
sensuality, suffering and ignorance. 
Therefore, following the Law of Contra- 
dictories, the invisible red expresses the 
blood turned to wine, sensuality to spirit- 
uality, suffering to power, ignorance to the 
most unspeakable wisdom. But how mar- 
velously is this spiritual-ray hidden from 
the worldly-wise and prudent; for, just as 
red is the color those afflicted with color- 
blindness cannot discern, so the invisible 
red is just the wisdom hidden from those 
who are spiritually color-blind. 

The form of motion by which the white 



202 Esoteric Lessons. 

ray breaks out into the seven colors is the 
first, from center to circumference, but 
the form which concenters, and to realize 
which I am about to engage in warfare, 
is the second — the exact reverse of the 
first. Therefore, as in the "First Lessons 
in Reality" my studies outlined, or cir- 
cumscribed, the seven-point-star, so now I 
pass from circumference to center, and 
accordingly reverse my diagram; i. e., 
turn my seven-point-star outside in. First 
I reverse the cardinal points, turning the 
right hand to the left; east becomes west 
and north becomes south. Red, the least 
refracted ray, is the beginning and end of 
the point at the center. Next orange, 
rising in the east, the union of visible and 
audible, forms its point at the center, or 
throne, and so on round the circle until 
the seven color-points blend into a unity 



A Tour Through the Zodiac. 203 

at the foot of my throne, from thence to 
ray forth on a higher plane and in larger 
spirals. 

Although this second round of my lad- 
der, as a whole, follows the second form 
of motion, yet each day's march of this 
expedition must follow the first line of 
motion, while each night my forces indraw 
to the camp-fire at the center. Day is the 
raying out of the seven points to the cir- 
cumference; night the raying back to the 
one-point center. 

Only I must not here lose myself in 
these symbols. The Seven-fold Morning 
Star is the Temple of the Body; the 
reversed Evening Star is the Holy of 
Holies, wherein the soul meets the Most 
High. But Lucifer and Venus are one 
star, not two; as formerly supposed. 

Therefore I am about to engage in war- 



204 Esoteric Lessons. 

fare, to establish the true and only har- 
mony between soul and body. This 
physical temple, neglected or in ruins, 
must be rebuilt and re-occupied before the 
soul can meet its God. This is the only way 
under the Sun whereby men can be saved. 
This is the Corner-Stone, so long rejected 
by all our builders. Physical health and 
truth — the truth which is above, beneath 
and roundabout all religions, mutually 
imply each other, and are absolutely un- 
thinkable apart. 

Body, this inverted and left-sided reflec- 
tion of soul, is the only trysting-place 
between the soul and its Divine source. 
Therefore, as a warrior and worshiper I 
seek the diamond-point of wisdom, where 
the red-ray blends into its spiritual coun- 
terpart. 



A Tour Through the Zodiac. 205 

QUESTIONS. 

i — Who is the Warrior? 
2 — What is the Warfare? 
3 — Why must there be War? 

LESSON II. 



THE FIERY TRIPLICITY. 



V, OR WATCHING. 

On my first round of this spiral ladder 
I proceeded by quadrants, or the quar- 
terni, as expressed in the terms ray-ment, 
food, house and hearth-fire. But, on 
this second round, my advance follows 
according to triplicities, or the four equi- 
lateral triangles. (See diagram.) 

Taken by twos, and placed side by side, 
they form two diamonds; on being in- 



206 Esoteric Lessons. 

terlaced, they comprehend all the mys- 
teries. 

The quadrant is a fourth part of the 
Zodiac, containing three consecutive signs. 
A triplicity is a fourth part of the Zodiac, 
containing three signs, each of which are 
four signs apart. Thus, the first triplicity, 
starting with <¥> (symbol -for head and face, 
and exalted above all as containing eyes) 
will be the equilateral triangle, having its 
vertices at the signs T £1 t, or the Les- 
sons Visible, Eating and Hearth. 

In proceeding by quadrants, the four 
great Kingdoms, Earth, Fire, Water and 
Air (motion), were regarded separately, 
yet I found the first three were only modes 
of ray-ing, or motion, and that they all 
interpenetrate and balance from one to 
the other. Just so now, although fire 
zeal, courage, etc., are the first requisites 



A Tour Through the Zodiac. 207 

in a good warrior, which he must have on 
all occasions; yet this Fiery Triplicity 
expresses the more active forms of fire, 
whereas it is, as it were, only latent in the 
other triplicities. 

Turning to the diagram of the seven- 
point-star, <¥, or visible, is the red ray, 
which, together with the yellow ray of 
audible, b, unite to form orange. There- 
fore the red ray is one side of my equilat- 
eral triangle; next ft, or eating, is the 
yellow ray in the formation of green, so 
yellow is another side of the triangle, while 
the third side is from $ y hearth, the blue 
ray in the formation of indigo. Accord- 
ingly, the Fiery Triplicity has for its three 
sides the three primary colors, red, yellow 
and blue. Thus the primary chord in 
color, or in sound, also expresses the pri- 
mary element of fire. And this is true of 



208 



Esoteric Lessons. 



all the other triplicities as well as the 
fiery. Thus: 

( Audible. Assimilating. Ray. 
Earthy.. \ » ttr VJ 

Yellow. Blue. Red. 



( Hunger. Door. Law. 

Watery . < 25 n£ X 

( Yellow. Blue. Red. 

( Tangible. Proportion. Images. 
Airy . . . . \ n ^ zz 

[ Yellow. Blue. Red. 

It is the red ray in zz which is used both 
in the formation of indigo and violet, its 
chemical property; whereas the red, or 
key, note C of the scale is the Heat-ray. 
This is the mystery of the octave. The 
key note C is the red of heat, but, refracted 
in its spiral course through the scale, it 
circles round and reaches its starting place 
one octave higher. 

On this higher plane, after having been 



A Tour Through the Zodiac. 209 

blent with the yellow of trial and tempta- 
tion and the blue of knowledge, it ex- 
presses the mystic, magnetic, electric 
melody of the seventh, whether in color, 
sound or soul. 

In this formation of the triplicities 
through the primary chords is expressed 
a most profound mystery, and upon my 
ability to grasp this mystery depends my 
success as a warrior. 

In entering upon the fiery ordeal I have 
to learn three lessons, correspondencies, 
or correlations of the three lessons: Vis- 
ible, Eating and Hearth. 

The first implies the Warrior Seeing, or 
as a Sentinel, Watching. 

The second implies the Warrior Acting, 
or Sacrificing. 

The third lesson is the Warrior judging 
from the results of the sacrifices, or, to 



210 Esoteric Lessons. 

use the mystic terms of the ancients, "dis- 
cerning the omens from inspecting the 
entrails of the victims offered at sacrifice! 1 

So, now, as the warrior detailed to my 
first duty, I climb my watch-tower to 
watch (as the ancients said) for the 
" flights of birds;" i. e., I must see the eso- 
teric reality in the exoteric shadow phan- 
toms. 

My eyes must be trained to detect these 
"birds" from afar, either singly, as dots, 
or in companies of lines and curves. I 
must observe the direction of their flights 
and, from the law of motion, see first in 
my mind's eye the esoteric meaning of 
everything within the ken of my watch- 
tower, even while my physical eyes see 
only the powers of darkness drawn up 
against me. But before I can see with 
the eyes of soul, through the spirit-red- 



A Tour Through the Zodiac. 211 

ray, I must to some extent have so con- 
formed my life to truth as to have actually 
and consciously realized the Real from 
the Unreal. I must see that Body, Pleas- 
ure, Pain, Disease and Death are all illu- 
sions; that finite personalities, with their 
loves, hates, greeds and jealousies, are all 
illusions. Still further, I must see that 
each of these illusions, singly, is reflected 
over and over again, in every direction, so 
that the army drawn up against me, appa- 
rently so vast, is simply a reduplication of 
a few primary illusions. 

I therefore give my attention to the 
primary illusions, for when they are dis- 
pelled the enemy is routed: 

1 — The illusion of Body. 

2 — The illusion of One's Self, refracted 
on the seven different planes. 

3 — The illusions of Finite Self. 



212 Esoteric Lessons. 

4 — The illusion that the Soul, or True 
Self, could ever be projected outside of 
the One Infinite Mind into Body, or Phe- 
nomena. 

But when I can climb still higher in my 
tower, and can know there is, no such 
thing as illusion; that truth is all there is; 
that One Mind and Father has made all 
trehe is, and that illusion and self never 
could be projected into Nothing outside 
of the All, then the sentinel has completed 
the watch. 

Yet, before I can climb to this height' 
all the illusive phantom-self of personal- 
ity must be burned or sacrificed (Leo) upon 
the altar of Heart (/) ; i. e., I cannot 
rightly or truly see until after the other 
sides of my triplicity are filled in, for an 
equilateral triangle is not an equilateral 
triangle until it has three equal sides. 



A Tour Through the Zodiac. 213 

Just as from simply seeing flames with 
the physical eye I do not comprehend how 
they will affect my hand until I throw it 
into them, so, now, I cannot see until after 
the sacrifice unless I have first seen. So, 
in order to balance these contradictories, 
I now proceed to the sacrifice. 

QUESTIONS. 

i — For what must the Sentinel Watch? 
2 — How must he Watch? 
3 — Why must he Watch? 



LESSON III. 

THE FIERY TRIPLICITY. 

SI, OR SACRIFICING. 

Fire is the great purifier. So action is 
that form of the Fiery Triplicity (yellow- 
ray side) which is the great purifier. 



214 Esoteric Lessons. 

According to the former analysis, all 
action is sacrifice, passion and oblation, 
and it is through this trial by fire, and the 
sacrifice and suffering implied in it, that 
I gain my spiritual sight (insight) . And 
it is a delusion that my eyes can ever be 
opened to the nature of fire, except by 
experiencing it; for how can I ever know 
that illusion is illusion unless I experi- 
ence its nothingness? 

I may stand up before the enemy and 
repeat the words: " There is only one 
Mind; there is no illusion of finite person- 
ality," but, as far as vain repetition goes, I 
would better take some other creed, for 
herein is a great mystery. This awful 
law of contradictories works (when actu- 
ally evoked) in spite of my unbelief, and 
even when I, in my blindness, do not see 
the results. This is the true creed of the 



A Tour Through the Zodiac. 215 

Knowledge of Good and Evil and of the 
Tree of Life; and to partake of the fruit 
of this tree, tempted by the serpent of the 
lower nature, or self-mask, is to surely die. 

If the lower self stumbles upon this true 
creed, or is entrusted with it unpurified by 
the trial of fire and suffering, the lie of 
personality is only accentuated. The 
mask thinks it has become as the Gods, 
and its fall is inevitable. It has taken 
exactly the opposite road for truth, and 
instead of realizing its oneness with the 
Divine Spirit it will fall to the very depths 
of the shadows of nothingness, even while 
mumbling the true creed. 

Yet this seeming and so-called fall is but 
the first form of action, without which 
there could be no reaction, and inaction is 
as fatal to insight as personality, accentu- 
ated to nothingness. 



2i6 Esoteric Lessons. 

Since, in order to rise, there must be a 
seeming fall, so, in order to realize there 
is no such thing as illusion, I accept it as 
an hypothesis to get rid of it, just as it is 
necessary to demonstrate certain proposi- 
tions in geometry to be untrue by assum- 
ing them to be true, for thus only can their 
untruth become self-evident; and in order 
to realize the Infinite One I am forced to 
postulate the finite personalities. And yet 
I also know that to even momentarily 
accept illusion chains me to it (for the time 
being) ; for I am where I locate myself, as 
One with the All, or as seemingly pro- 
jected outside the All, where, like a soap- 
bubble, I shall speedily realize the lie of 
self-mask; the harder I blow this bubble 
the quicker it bursts into nothingness. 
Like a child, I can keep on blowing per- 
sonality bubbles, only to see these finite 



A Tour Through the Zodiac. 217 

Egos burst, one after another; or I can 
put away the childish things, resolving to 
be no longer dsceived by them, and blow 
them only to understand the law accord- 
ing to which they come and go. There- 
fore I accept finite personalities solely to 
demonstrate their utter impossibility, and 
when I know that time is also an illusion, 
I rise to the plane where even the Sun 
itself will stand silent upon Gibeon, and 
the Moon stay in the valley of Ajalon 
until I avenge myself upon all my enemies. 

Hereafter let me act, or refrain from 
acting, simply to know truth, and no longer 
conform to finite and worldly codes of 
morality or mere social traditions and 
usages. 

Just as in a former lesson I accepted the 
visible Universe in its unity and in its 
infinity as a grand universal language, its 



2i8 Esoteric Lessons. 

sentences, letters and punctuation marks 
all symbols for thought and traced with 
the finger of God, so now I accept all ter- 
restrial action as purely symbolic action, 
possessing no moral quality in itself, but 
simply descriptive of spiritual acts, which 
I cannot possibly comprehend until I have 
faithfully performed all the symbolic acts 
To refrain from these symbolic acts before 
I grasp the real acts is to deliberately bar 
and bolt the only door by which I can 
enter the temple, expecting thus to gain 
admittance. To refrain from flesh eating, 
from wine drinking and from social and 
family life, simply for the sake of absti- 
nence, is to play the part of a stupid tyrant 
and not of the King. On the other hand, 
to debauch myself in all these acts, simply 
because they satisfy my senses, is to be- 
come the slave of suffering and death. 



A Tour Through the Zodiac. 2ig 

The mob must not rule, yet the tyrant who 
devastates his kingdom and puts all the 
inhabitants to death by fire, torture, or 
slow starvation, ends by having no king- 
dom to rule. If I destroy the mob be- 
cause I fear it, I do not overcome fear by 
the process nor obtain wisdom. 

I therefore sacrifice to idols, or shadowy 
images, simply to eliminate melody out of 
discord, to realize the " Octave of Purifi- 
cation," whereby the fire, which on the 
lower plane is destructive to life, is raised 
from the key-note C to the chemical, life- 
giving C of the scale. 

From out this fiery furnace of trial this 
right action, knowledge and wisdom are 
born. The Christ-Truth must be born of 
this Tribe of the Lion (si). It can only 
come from this Royal Action, and is itself 
the highest and supreme sacrifice, whereby 



220 Esoteric Lessons. 

the Son of Man becomes the Son of God. 

But I can never comprehend this last 
sacrifice until I have learned the meaning 
of all the other sacrifices, and how to 
make them. I must learn the meaning of 
eating, whereby the plant life and animal 
life are sacrificed, before I can compre- 
hend the awful mystery of the sacrifice of 
human life, called death, even up to that 
sublime death on the Cross. 

But sacrificing is not destroying, and to 
comprehend the meaning of eating, or 
sacrificing, or action, is to realize the ab- 
solute unthinkability of the illusion called 
death. Therefore, let me never take a 
morsel of food into my mouth without 
reflecting that I am performing the cere- 
monials of sacrifice within the temple of 
my body, just as the rites of public temple 
worship were formerly observed. 



A Tour Through the Zodiac. 221 

And let me study the meanings of all 
the correspondencies of these temple rites. 

And, also, let me engage in all the acts 
of finite life; of trade, politics and social 
life, etc., until I learn the reality which 
makes the shadow, and thus burn every 
idol upon the altar of truth. 

QUESTIONS. 

i — What are the Victims to be sacri- 
ficed? 

2 — How must the Sacrifices be con- 
ducted? 

3 — Why must there be Burnt Offerings? 



LESSON IV. 

THE FIERY TRIPLICITY. 
V SI t 



$, OR JUDGING. 

As the victims have been slaughtered 



222 Esoteric Lessons. 

and consumed by the flames, the warrior 
must carefully collect together the ashes, 
or remnants, into the Sacred Urn of Pure- 
Heart, and then, placing them before the 
bar of conscience, await the responses. 

These responses are judgments, pro- 
ceeding from the Divinity within. If the 
offerings have been good and acceptable, 
and the rites properly observed, then the 
replies will surely be auspicious. But if 
the two former duties have not been prop- 
erly performed, then am I guilty of the 
most awful sacrilege in approaching the 
Divinity profanely. 

According to my own actions am I 
judged; my own conscience is the arbiter. 
This judge must give the decisions accord- 
ing to the manner in which the sentinel 
and the sacrificial priest have performed 
their tasks, for the judgment follows as 



A Tour Through the Zodiac. 223 

inevitably as when, having placed two 
sides of an equilateral triangle together at 
the proper angle, the third side is the re- 
sponse, depending upon the other two. 

Again, this response is the third note in 
the primary chord. If I have struck the 
first two, there is only one other which 
possibly can complete the chord. 

Again, this response is the conclusion, 
or third term, in the perfect syllogism. 
The sentinel upon the watch-tower, hav- 
ing properly performed his duty, states 
the major premise; the sacrifice, with its 
implied suffering, gives out the minor note 
or premise; the Oracle speaks out the con- 
clusion. Although the conclusion of a 
syllogism is its third term, yet it expresses 
the mystery of the trinity, for it is a trin- 
ity, and at the same time an organic unity. 
It combines the major and minor prem- 



224 Esoteric Lessons. 

ises into a higher unity, which differs from 
either of them, just as the molecule of 
water combines two dissimilar elements 
into a unity differing from its component 
parts, and also as H and O combine with 
a lightning flash of soul which accompa- 
nies the combining together of the two 
premises of a syllogism into their higher 
unity, and is an intuitive spark from the 
altar of Divinity. 

This altar is my Hearth (/) of Pure- 
Heart. Unless this Urn is sufficiently 
purified by properly accepting (not reject- 
ing) the experiences of life, it cannot 
receive the ashes of the sacrifice and 
impart to them the Divine Spark which 
makes them over into a living, organic 
unity, on a higher plane than they were 
before, nor raise in power and might the 
ashes of actions sown in weakness and 



A Tour Through the Zodiac. 22$ 

watered with tears of suffering. This 
expresses the mystery of the re-birth, 
whereby the physical body is raised to the 
plane of spiritual body while yet in the 
possession of the physical. 

This is that which constitutes the spir- 
itual plane upon which one is born. 
There is a Divine correspondence, and 
the latent possibilities of the soul have 
the corresponding possibilities in the brain, 
which can be brought forth to usefulness 
while in the physical body. Bringing 
about the harmony between the two con- 
stitutes re-birth. 

There is only one way of being re-born, 
just as there is only one way to be born 
into the physical, and this one way is 
revealed through the fiery syllogism (tri- 
plicity), the major premise of which is 
Truth Realized from the Sentry's Watch- 



226 Esoteric Lessons. 

tower, the minor premise of which is 
Love Actualized by the Sacrifice of Burnt 
Offerings, the conclusion of which is Life 
Immortalized, or lifted from the plane of 
Time to Eternity. This conclusion is the 
Immaculate Conception of the re-birth, 
which is conscious son-ship with the 
Father. 

Truth realized frees from every illusion 
of sense and casts out every error and all 
diseases. Truth realized is liberty, for 
from or by the power born of Knowledge 
you can be free. 

Love actualized, or practiced, recog- 
nizes the Divine origin of every soul, and 
that every form of life and condition is 
necessary to the unfoldment of the soul in 
its evolutionary steps of progress, and, 
comprehending the law of contradictories, 
knows only universal charity and com- 



A Tour Through the Zodiac. 227 

munion of saints, those who have passed 
through the fires of purification and 
learned the lessons therein taught, with- 
out prejudice, sentiment or pain. Love 
actualized is Fraternity. Then are we 
able to look upon all life as one Divine 
Whole, recognizing all as one fraternity, 
each filling the necessary notes in the 
Anthem of Creative Life. 

Life eternalized, making every moment 
eternity, lifts the soul to a plane above 
illusion. Realizing the realities of life 
leaves no room for illusions where, grasp- 
ing the equality of ratios, it knows only 
Oneness. But this true equality with God 
distinguishes between thoughts and think- 
ers. The recognition of God's variety of 
life, form, color, etc., are each equally 
necessary to the fulfillment of the Divine 
plan. This is the only law of equality. 
Life, thus eternalized, is equality. 



228 Esoteric Lessons. 

Liberty, Fraternity and Equality must 
ever be the war-cry of the true warrior. 
But if the offerings, or truths, seen from 
the watch-tower through the first side of 
the Fiery Triangle are not acceptable, nor 
the sacrifices of our past ideas and illu- 
sions properly observed or parted with, 
then, instead of liberty, comes renewed 
bondage to error and disease; instead of 
fraternity, failures, strife and murder; 
instead of equality with Divinity, there is 
a descent to the lower sphere and union 
with demons and fiends. 

On the other hand, the Ascetic who 
mutilates, denies, the truths realized in 
the major premise from the sentry's watch- 
tower, and destroys the offerings, the 
knowledge thus revealed, and who refuses 
the experiences of the sacrifices can never 
hear the responses nor know the mystery 



A Tour Through the Zodiac. 229 

of re-birth. In either case, remorse and 
repentance, in themselves, are perfectly 
stupid, and only delay realization. 

The suffering implied in remorse is not 
a true and acceptable sacrifice, for the 
major premise is still wrong, for truth 
never brings remorse. Remorse implies 
a misconception of the nature of reality. 
If I have struck the wrong note in my 
chord, and experienced inharmony, I only 
make the more haste to strike the right 
note. I waste no time in groaning over 
the dismal sound. 

QUESTIONS, 

i — Upon what are judgments based? 

2 — How are Responses either Concep- 
tions or Sacrifices? 

3 — Why are Remorse and Asceticism 
equally unavailing? 



LESSON V. 

THE EARTHY TRIPLICITY. 



tf, OR LISTENING. 

The signs of the Earthy Triplicity ex- 
press the crisis, or fixed point, wherein 
the shadows seem to come to a crust and 
harden. They are illusions, reaching their 
ultimate. And this Earthy Triplicity fol- 
lows the fiery, just as ashes follow fire, or, 
as geology tells us. our Earth has result- 
ed from a ball of fire, and all the solids 
now visible from molten liquids. To the 
warrior, this Earthy Triplicity (triangle) 
is the battlefield, a field of three equal 
sides. Its first side he takes possession of 
and holds as soon as he comprehends the 
sounds proceeding from it. He must lis- 
ten for its strains of martial music, its dis- 



A Tour Through the Zodiac. 231 

tant rumbling of artillery and the tramp, 
tramp of marching troops, its shouts of 
victory and courage, its groans of anguish, 
defeat and retreat. 

Having learned to watch, he must now 
learn to listen. The ear must be trained 
as well as the eye. In order to have both 
sides of the contradictories we must know 
the results of things seen, hence must hear 
the effects through vibration, or motion. 
Thus listening is essential. 

But Taurus (&) is the sign of the neck 
and throat as well as the ear, and this is 
so because of the subtle connection be- 
tween the ear, neck and throat. In a 
former analysis I saw the relation of ear 
to voice (of which the throat is but the 
instrument) , and now, as I listen to the 
sounds from the battlefield, I discern the 
relation of ear to neck. 



232 Esoteric Lessons. 

At the first sound of martial music the 
steed arches his neck, and none the less, 
as its strains inspire the warrior, does his 
neck respond to the sounds, drawing up 
the head and stiffening the entire verte- 
bral column. He pants for prowess, re- 
nown, praise, promotion and unending 
fame and honors. But the true warrior, 
who from the sentry's watch-tower dis- 
cerned the shadows to be delusions, now 
listens for the bugle-call, the clear note 
which, cleaving the awful din and con- 
fusion of the battlefield, gives out the 
key-note according to which the discord- 
ant sounds are evolved into a majestic 
symphony. As long as the warrior fights 
for fame of self and to hear all men speak 
well of him, instead of striking the key- 
note he only strikes its exact contradic- 
tory. 



A Tour Through the Zodiac. 233 

Therefore, if I am to be a true warrior 
I must renounce praise and learn true 
humility 7 . Not only must I renounce 
praise, but must even rejoice when all men 
speak evil of me. If I am cast down 
when I am reviled and persecuted, then I 
have not yet learned humility. To be cut 
to the quick by censure is as far from hu- 
mility as to be stiff-necked with praise; 
for so long as blame crushes me, just so 
long will praise elate me. Therefore, in 
order to renounce praise I must also re- 
nounce blame. 

The point of equilibrium between, or 
indifference to, either praise or blame is 
the only point I can strike which will give 
out the true vibration which enables me 
to detect the key-note. 

This is a hard lesson, and one I can 
never learn until mine eyes have seen the 



234 Esoteric Lessons. 

unreality of the shadows, until I have sac- 
rificed to the Divinity within and obtained 
its responses; or, in other words, if I 
have not fully and comprehensively en- 
compassed the first syllogism, or triplicity, 
I cannot intelligently and courageously 
step upon the next rung of the ladder in 
my watch-tower. But if I have realized 
the war-cry of Liberty, Fraternity and 
Equality, then, in proportion as I realize 
humility, renouncing alike praise and 
blame, in just that proportion I shall now 
be able to see that my war-cry is also my 
key-note. I now have my key, which is 
two-sided, one from the first syllogism and 
the other from the second, Watching and 
Listening. This is a marvelous key, which 
unlocks both ways. Turned one way it 
reveals color symphonies; the other gives 
out sound harmonies, and as I become 



A Tour Through the Zodiac. 235 

skillful in turning this key the visible will 
be the notes of a musical composition, 
which my soul at once reads into sound 
while the audible vibrations round out 
into forms and colors. But the visible and 
the audible united form the Orange Ray 
of my Seven-Point-Star, and the spiritual 
quality corresponding to orange is the 
understanding, and when I am armed with 
this ray-ment of true understanding, then 
the bow of prismatic colors and the octave 
of chromatic sounds will interpret to my 
soul that larger octave of the heavens 
called the Zodiac, or Wheel of Life. 
Upon the steps and half-steps of this Zo- 
diacal octave the Sun, Moon and planets 
go on, giving out now strong major chords, 
now plaintive minor vibrations, both of 
which the rightly attuned soul translates 
into higher symphonies of the purposes 



236 Esoteric Lessons. 

and laws of the Infinite Mind, grand ora- 
torios of " Creation" and " Messiah." 

When this spirit of understanding is 
mine, then these vibrations, struck by the 
swiftly revolving orbs on the Zodiacal 
octave, will as surely reach my external 
ear as they now do my external eye, and 
my soul will as surely recognize a primary 
chord from the larger octave as now from 
the smaller, for the intervals of one cor- 
respond exactly to the intervals of the 
other. All these intervals are expressed 
by numbers, but as long as numbers 
represent only dollars and cents, or the 
shadows exchangeable for money, the 
results or returns only looked for on the 
material plane, just so long will the " music 
of the spheres" remain an unmeaning 
myth to my soul. 

We must ever remember that the effects 



A Tour Through the Zodiac. 237 

must correspond to the plane of the cause. 
Esoteric wisdom cannot be utilized in 
exoteric gains (the law of contradictory 
opposites would soon take the place of 
affinity opposites) and rise in the scale of 
progress. Harmony is the law of prog- 
ressino. The contest of the ages is upon 
us. 

QUESTIONS. 

1 — What is the first lesson from the 
Battlefield? 

2 — How must I learn Humility? 

3 — Why will Humility reveal the Octave 
of Life? 



LESSON VI. 

THE EARTHY TRIPLICITY. 



TT£, OR RECONNOITERING. 
(PATIENCE — WAIT.) 

The green ray is formed by the union of 
yellow and blue, so the spiritual quality 
corresponding to green is the blending of 
the yellow flame, from off the altar of 
trial and sacrifice, together with the blue 
of knowledge. The spiritual green result- 
ing from this blending is that peculiar, 
burning, zealous knowledge which makes 
the warrior powerful and strong, or, in 
other words, "mighty in battle." 

But the warrior can never be mighty in 
battle in the midst of wholly unknown 



A Tour Through the Zodiac. 239 

country. He must know the mountain 
passes, the location of bogs and quick- 
sands, rivers and springs. He must un- 
derstand all the physical and natural ad- 
vantages and disadvantages of the enemy's 
position and strongholds, or fortifications. 
And all this can be accomplished only 
by the union of skill (knowledge, blue) 
with daring (sacrifice, yellow) . The union 
of these two results in green of power, a 
kind of knowing by which the whole vast 
field of warfare stands out, illuminated, 
to the mind's eye of the warrior. Now 
the work of mixing together skill and 
daring, by means of which the country 
becomes known, is the work of recon- 
noitering. 

Reconnoitering is therefore the subject 
of this lesson and the second side of my 
triangle. In planning for the work in 



240 Esoteric Lessons. 

hand I must first draw upon the knowl- 
edge already obtained of this perilous 
region of shadows and illusions. 

Virgo is the symbol for the process of 
assimilation, which takes place in the 
intestines, or bowels, and if this process 
be incomplete or inharmonious, loss of 
strength is the immediate result. I be- 
come weak-kneed, unable to walk or even 
stand. Just so our Mother Earth (the 
Green Planet) has stored away for the 
use of her children, down in the caverns 
and spacious recesses of her bowels, a 
vast and complete laboratory, with all 
materials and chemical appliances at hand 
where daring reconnoiterers become the 
daring alchemists. Knowledge has been 
gained, and power obtained through assim- 
ilation to put that knowledge into practical 
use. 



A Tour Through the Zodiac. 241 

But where are those who do not assimi- 
late the food provided by Mother Nature, 
who are indifferent to conditions, and fail 
to see and hear, who lack that burning 
zeal to reconnoiter so that they may make 
themselves acquainted with the various 
aspects of the country, hence fall into the 
refuse bogs and morasses and lose what 
strength they do have, become unable to 
walk, or even stand, and are finally cast 
out into the outer darkness of nothing- 
ness? Our Mother Earth is a just planet, 
and no goodie-goodie, stuffing obedient 
and disobedient alike with confectionery. 
Each attracts to himself the just com- 
pensation for the energy put forth, 
whether that be much or little, good or 
evil. 

If I am deceived by the will-o'-the- 
wisps, or follow wandering doctrines, not 



242 Esoteric Lessons. 

only must I ask to be forgiven for my 
trespasses, but I am also sure to suffer 
some punishment or reprimand for my 
mistakes. Yet, if I am wise, I accept 
them thankfully and cheerfully, without 
repining, for thus are accomplished two 
things: First, the suffering is the healing 
remedy, which repairs the mischief; sec- 
ond, just as the mother takes more closely 
to her heart than ever before the truly pen- 
itent child, just so Mother Earth reveals 
her most precious secrets to her right- 
minded offspring, those who are patient 
under suffering and affliction and learn the 
lessons of remorse, suffering and humility, 
knowing that Nature is only asking, or 
demanding, a just retribution for violation 
of her laws. , Ignorance excuses not. 
Nothing but knowledge can enable one to 
escape the bogs and morasses of igno- 
rance. 



A Tour Through the Zodiac. 243 

And thus right here, I see, comes the 
application of my lesson on the discipline 
of the ear. Reconnoitering puts to the 
test listening, or true humility. If the 
first and the second sides of this Earthy 
triangle are rightly constructed, then the 
second note of the chord will harmonize 
with the first, and I know that so far my 
work is well done. 

But if I find discord, then it is an absolute 
certainty that the third side of my triangle 
will not fit, and if I undertake to advance 
upon the enemy's territory, swift and sure 
defeat is before me. Therefore in all 
humility I set diligently to work to con- 
struct a map of the country I am about to 
invade, and procure a compass, so that I 
may not lose my way amidst the false doc- 
trines which encompass me on every hand, 
at every turn, and the dense forests of 



244 Esoteric Lessons. 

"isms," which bewilder and perplex. 

This compass is but a simple Cross, 
which always points to the Pole-Star of 
Truth, arid indicates the four cardinal 
points of the Universe, and the fourfold 
division of both Macrocosm and Micro- 
cosm. 

Aries, the Fiery, rules the Eastern ter- 
minus of this Rosy-Cross; Libra, the Airy, 
the Western; Capricorn, the Earthy (the 
most fixed and material), the Southern, 
while Cancer, the Watery, pure desire, 
forever aspires to the North of Truth and 
Freedom. 

Thus the four points of the compass 
also express the four elements. Each ele- 
ment also expresses the fourfold constitu- 
tion of man: Earth, Body; Fire, Finite 
Mind, or Fiery Body; Water, Soul; Air 
Spirit. 



A Tour Through the Zodiac. 245 

There is nothing so penetrating as air, 
and no element so essential to life. In 
every form of life air is the potent, ani- 
mating principle, ,and without the air 
(spirit) the other four elements would be 
•useless. 

The spirit is one and indivisible, but the 
other three divisions of man are each 
dual, and thus results the sevenfold divi- 
sion of the Microcosm, or, going back to 
the four elements, I can regard each as 
triune, and from this division map out the 
Zodiac, this mazy wheel of life, and thus 
completing the reconnoiter of my great 
field of battle I boldly advance, clinging 
to my simple Solar Cross. 

QUESTIONS. 

1 — What is the nature and purpose of 
the second lesson in the Earthy Triplicity? 



246 Esoteric Lessons. 

2 — How must the warrior construct his 
Map and Compass? 

3 — Why must the work of Reconnoiter- 
ing be done? 



LESSON VII. 

THE EARTHY TRIPLICITY. 



VJ, OR ADVANCING. 

When the Sun enters the sign of V?, 
where lived the framers of the Zodiac, 
then the Goats advanced up the mountain 
sides, for the time of grazing was at hand. 
The fruits of labor were beginning to 
spring up and be realized by the laborer. 
So now advances the warrior into the region 
of winter, toward the point where shadows 
are congealed or hardened into the sub- 



A Tour Through the Zodiac. 247 
stances called matter and solids; where the 
indigo ray passes almost to black — the ex- 
act antipodes of soul and summer, the 
white light. Here the black of negation 
mixes with blue to form the indigo of 
righteousness. 

But with his faithful compass (Cross) 
he advances, undismayed. His knees do 
not knock together through the weakness 
of fear; fear belongs to immature natures. 
The patient waiting acquired as a recon- 
noiterer has admitted him into the labora- 
tory of Mother Earth, and he has there 
armed himself with the force which solves 
solids and transmutes matter into its cor- 
relatives of spirit — black to white, death 
to life. 

The Rod and the Knee express the two 
extremes of Power and Submission. The 
monarch who sways the rod enforces the 
homage of the bended knee from his sub- 



248 Esoteric Lessons. 

jects. Never was there such a despot as 
fear, and the victim swayed by fear is the 
most craven and knock-kneed object in 
existence. The one who has not learned 
to wait is still the slave of fear, and is 
held bound in the bowels of Earth, and 
has yet to break the bars of iron and steel 
which hold him a prisoner of pomp, splen- 
dor, honor and dignity, and this also 
implies its exact opposite. Yet, the one 
whom the world delights to honor is not 
the one who advances, a conqueror, into 
the realm of realities. Ah, no! He is 
the one most overcome by fear and that 
grim, monster-shadow called Death. But 
the true warrior, "compass" in hand, even 
tho.ugh despised and rejected by men 
advances undismayed, knowing before- 
hand the exact nature of that which he is 
to explore. He knows the grim monster- 



A Tour Through the Zodiac. 249 

shadow, death, to be but Nature's initia- 
tion into the great mysteries of existence, 
whose realms he, like Virgil and Dante 
and others before him, have invaded while 
yet embodied. 

He will find it possible to go, and, return- 
ing, give a clever and entertaining account 
of adventures, hairbreadth escapes, etc., 
to a gaping crowd. He may bring back a 
lot of curios, to dispose of for money to 
the highest bidder, for curiosity mongers 
to "Oh!" and "Ah!" over. 

Or he may transform his knowledge into 
a comfortable "Sale of Indulgences," pro- 
claim: " There is no such thing as Death; 
he is only a scarecrow; all is life; there is no 
such thing as Evil, all is good. Therefore 
gormandize, cheat and steal to your 
heart's content. You are one with God, 
and your soul can never be lost!" But he 



250 Esoteric Lessons. 

strikes a note which grates on the purely 
trained ear, and he communicates a con- 
clusion which does not accord with, nor 
follow, the premises. With the major 
premise of Taurus (humility) and the 
minor premise of Virgo (patience) , sooner 
or later will he trip in the meshes of his 
false syllogism and be brought in abject 
terror before the awful Voice of the 
Mighty One, whose Ineffable Name he, 
himself, has attempted to assume, instead 
of, in true humility, saying " Hallowed be 
Thy Name," and, as a penitent reconnoit- 
erer, he must add, " Forgive us our tres- 
passes," and upon his knees confess, "For 
Thine is the Kingdom." 

But not thus with the warrior who has 
the first two premises correctly formed. 
His conclusion is incontrovertible. At the 
very outset of his advance he learns his 



A Tour Through the Zodiac. 251 

immortality, his heritage; also discerns 
the conditions upon which they are won. 
He realizes the dignity, grandeur and 
meaning of life, and knows that he is 
saved, crowned and Deified in spite of 
himself; whether he will or no. Neither 
for the simple wishing on his part, but 
with the knowledge obtained in Dame 
Nature's laboratory he has but to hold up 
the Mystic Cross, which combines in its 
significance polar opposites and contra- 
dictory opposites, and the most fixed 
becomes volatile. Baser metals are 
changed to gold, and gold transmuted to 
Sunlight, the Water of Soul to the Wine 
of Spirit, the mask to reality, shadows to 
substance, error to truth, hate to love, 
death to life. 

He also knows that the direct ray is 
Truth Absolute, while the oblique ray is 



252 Esoteric Lessons. 

Truth Relative, and will be refracted and 
reflected indefinitely from one plane to 
another and soon bewilder him in a laby- 
rinth of shadowy reflects unless he sternly 
adheres to his knowledge and boldly clings 
to his Cross. 

And, while he knows that it is his duty 
to realize and actualize all that he possibly 
can of truth absolute, he also knows it is 
likewise his duty to recognize the differ- 
ent planes of expression, and remember 
that truths on different planes are relative 
to each other, but that each is absolute on 
its own plane, and that, in order to ad- 
vance from one plane to another, or higher, 
like water he cannot rise above his level 
until he find the point of equilibrium of 
that plane upon which he is, by means of 
which, like water vaporized, he rises to 
the plane above him. 



A Tour Through the Zodiac. 253 

But, until he does actually rise to the 
plane above him, he is ruled by the laws 
of that plane, and he is its subject until 
he, by rising to the plane above, becomes 
ruler of the plane below. 

Poison, calumny and malice are abso- 
lute monarchs on their own special plane, 
but to the warrior, armed with the force 
which solves and transmutes, they become 
relative, and finally obedient. 

Neither do I become ruler by simply 
repeating, parrot-like, " There is no such 
thing as malaria; malaria does not rule 
me, I rule malaria," etc., but I must have 
within me the force which, having divined 
the meanings of things, has made them a 
part of me, having neutralized (nothing- 
ized) it by counterbalancing it with its 
polar opposite. 

Thus, from yy of the Earthy Triplicity, 



254 Esoteric Lessons. 

do I arrive at true Progress, Advancing. 
The Fiery trip showed the perfect syllo- 
gism — the righteous judgment of Sagitta- 
rius, deducted from the major premise of 
Aries and the minor premise of Leo. 

The Earthy syllogism, analogous to the 
Fiery, is symbolized in terms of a chemi- 
cal compound, in which the sharp and 
stinging acids of censure and uncharita- 
bleness, leading to humility (Taurus) , fuse 
and blend with the alkalies of patience 
(Virgo) under afflictions, and from this 
fusing and blending arising to a higher 
plane, or Capricorn. 

From this Earthy syllogism I have 
learned from Taurus: "Hark!" from 
Virgo: "Wait!" from Capricorn: "Be 
Strong!" 

Listening in true Humility for Thy hal- 
lowed name, I have found that even sorrow 



A Tour Through the Zodiac. 255 

and failure, if accepted in patience, al- 
though they may seem like the reconnoit- 
erer's path, too often go back instead of 
forward, are, after all, accomplished prog- 
ress, and are but seeming bonds, from 
which my soul, "like a hind let loose/' all 
the more swiftly advances up the moun- 
tain steeps when the time for grazing 
arrives. Then he has reached that point 
where he can utilize the power and knowl- 
edge gained while passing through the 
first syllogism, Fire, and the second, 
Earth. J 

LESSON VIII. 

THE AIRY TRIPLICITY. 
11 A r 

II, OR CARRYING ARMS. 

The signs of the Airy Triplicity have 
especial reference to motion. 



256 Esoteric Lessons. 

II, more especially, or directly, is con- 
cerned with projecting, hurling, etc.; =^= 
with balancing, maintaining equilibrium 
between opposites; zz with floating and 
undulating, as represented by the action 
of air upon the surface of the water, pro- 
ducing waves. 

II implies, first, a grasping of the hands, 
or combining forces (Gemini), the effects 
of knowledge gained so far on his jour- 
ney; second, an impulsive force from the 
will, directed to the muscles of the shoul- 
ders and arms, by means of which the 
object is hurled through the air. There- 
fore I can be no warrior and hurl my 
lance until I understand the meaning of 
these twins and how to train and use them 
effectually. 

First, I discern that these twins are not 
two of the same kind, but they are oppo- 



A Tour Through the Zodiac. 257 

sites, or counterparts, and fit together like 
two hemispheres of one sphere. The one 
is right, the other left; the one positive, 
the other negative. 

Ancient mythology allegorized one, the 
right half, the positive, as Castor, a star 
of the first magnitude, the Immortal, while 
the other, the left, the negative, was Pollux, 
the lesser star i n brilliancy, the Mortal ; and 
thus they expressed the fact that it is the 
positive, active force of the soul which, 
reaching out, attains immortality; i. e., 
there must be action before there could 
be reaction. But, again, as the action 
itself must have its reaction in order to 
complete its orbit, as the positive pole of 
the battery is nothing without its negative 
pole, just so the immortal Castor is repre- 
sented in the myth as one-half of the time 
foregoing his privilege among the Celes- 



258 Esoteric Lessons. 

tials in order to pass the other half of 
the time with his brother, who was mor- 
tal, yet whom he so dearly loved; or, in 
other words, they were polar opposites, 
which mutually implied each other, and 
were utterly meaningless and unthinkable 
apart. 

(And one quite noticeable fact of twins 
is that, even while of the same sex physi- 
cally, in temperament and disposition one 
is more positive, the other more nega- 
tive. Usually this difference is very 
marked.) 

In regard to the hands, I observe that, 
while the right is positive to the left, yet 
the different parts of each hand are rela- 
tively positive and negative to each other, 
Thus the knuckles are positive in relation 
to the palm, the nails positive in relation 
to the balls of the fingers, etc. The 



A Tour Through the Zodiac. 259 

elbows are aggressive, while the muscles 
of the inner arm are indrawing and ca- 
ressive. 

The hands are the great avenues of the 
sense of touch. The hands are the means 
by which we grasp at treasures, reach out 
for that which we wish to attain, manipu- 
late, formulate materials about us in order 
to provide for the necessities, comforts 
and luxuries of physical life. 

And from these two, following the law 
of correspondencies, I discern the esoteric 
meaning of the hands, and from thence 
the application of bearing arms. The 
right hand has been educated almost to 
the exclusion of the left (or female) in 
our present generation. Otherwise it 
would be self-evident to us that sensation 
is not completely obtained only through 
the right, and when we examine anything 



260 Esoteric Lessons. 

critically we instinctively use both hands. 
Our right hand gives us more the external, 
intellectual, positive qualities of an object, 
the left the interior, intuitional, negative 
qualities; and thus the first great use of 
the hands is to teach polar opposites, the 
Twins. All the infinite variety of weapons 
or arms the warrior can ever have to deal 
with can be classed under these two words 
— Polar Opposites. Every force through- 
out the boundless universe has its pole, or 
Divine center, which embraces the positive 
and negative attributes in one, and in 
order to correspond to that pole all life is 
evolved in pairs — twins, male and female. 
Whenever they appear to be separated it 
is only in seeming, and because the ex- 
ternal eye is blinded to the shadow of 
illusions. 

Again, just as we have neglected the 



A Tour Through the Zodiac. 261 

education of the left hand, just so have we 
lost, through this neglect, that inner con- 
sciousness of the esoteric meaning of the 
thousands of exoteric, or physical, uses 
with which we daily employ our hands. 
Our treasures are accumulated only for 
this world, regardless of the swift-coming 
subjective state, upon whose borders we 
may this very instant be drifting. 

This, then, is the lesson for the warrior. 
The arms of warfare are polar opposites. 
Bearing arms is learning their esoteric 
uses. 

Right here, for the warrior, must come 
his great rununciation. He must come to 
care for the external only for the sake of 
the interior. He must "renounce luxury 
and be chaste." But chastity is by no 
means celibacy nor asceticism. For the 
true soul love is in very truth the purest 
chastity. 



262 Esoteric Lessons. 

The word chaste is here, however, used 
in its true and larger sense. Polar oppo- 
sites is only another word for sex; hence 
the word chaste applies to every word and 
thought. 

Let the warrior, then, cleanse his hands 
and remember that the blessings of the 
Lord are promised to one who " hath clean 
hands and a pure heart." 

The force which binds polar opposites 
together, the point of equilibrium where 
the two are one, is love, and from love is 
evolved life, while truth may be defined 
as knowledge, or understanding, of the 
relation of polar opposites. The warrior 
must first comprehend truth, and truth 
must be in him and he in the truth before 
he can possibly know anything whatever 
of life and of love. But he must ronounce 
the things of sense and seeming in order 



A Tour Through the Zodiac. 263 

to say: u Oh, Truth! Thy Kingdom 
Come." 

But it directly follows the fact of the 
uneducated left hand, and the consequent 
non-comprehension of polar opposites, that 
mankind to-day can have no conception 
whatever of the Law of Unity, or the love 
by which the two polar opposites are one. 
And thus the world has utterly lost the 
esoteric meaning of the love which exists 
exoterically between man and woman. 
Marriage is only a name and a form, a 
legal, conventional and mechanical union, 
and the empty symbol no longer teaches 
the spiritual reality. With the Divine 
element of love lost to our sight, atheism 
and materialism at once follow. The days 
of true chivalry are the days of true relig- 
ious growth. 

Man cannot know God without know 



264 Esoteric Lessons. 

ing love, for God is love, and if the exo- 
teric symbol of love does not lead to an 
insight to spiritual truth, to an actual 
knowledge of truth (which is also God), 
then that exoteric symbol is the grossest 
unchastity, and leads to perdition and 
damnation. 

But the warrior, having put aside, or 
renounced, all the showy and glittering 
weapons of sense and seeming, arming 
himself only with truth, as symbolized in 
his lance, with its two ends, and, balanc- 
ing this trusty lance in his hands, he dis- 
cerns the sublime truth of the Twins (n), 
and knows that somewhere in the vast 
universe there exists a missing half, from 
whom his soul, in reality, never has been 
and never can be separated. 



A Tour Through the* Zodiac, 265 

LESSON IX. 

THE AIRY TRIPLICITY. 
n =2= - 



£V=, OR OBEYING ORDERS. 

The spirit of mortal, alas, is proud. 
Not realizing itself as nothing but a shad- 
owy reflect, it arrogates to itself, while yet 
a minor, its birthright of Divinity and 
heritage of immortality, as if it had al- 
ready attained its majority and come into 
possession of its estate. 

Obedience is a difficult attainment, per- 
haps the most difficult of all, and yet 
all the boasted free will of a mortal ends 
in his obedience, in spite of himself, for 
one grand command comprises all the 
lesser orders. The others are but copies, 
or reprints, of the original. 



266 Esoteric Lessons. 

This One Supreme is that Divine love 
principle which binds polar opposites into 
one. And true is the command: " What 
God hath joined together let no man put 
asunder," for mortal cannot put it asun- 
der. He cannot accomplish the impossi- 
ble and unthinkable, and there is but one 
punishment for attempted disobedience. 
He does not alter the law, but, as far as 
he himself is concerned, he realizes the 
results in accordance with his disregard 
of the law, whether intentional or not. 

To fulfill this great law of love is peace, 
equilibrium, harmony and life; to ignore 
or defy it is strife, confusion, discord and 
death. 

And thus the mortal obeys the law in 
spite of himself, for death is not a change 
preparatory to another state or condition 
of life, in which the mortal, or reflect, is 



A Tour Through the Zodiac. 267 

given another chance to obey the order 
which comprises all orders. 

THE EQUILIBRIUM OR EQUALITY OF RATIOS. 

Love. 
j\ 

Justice. 
In walking, which is propelling the body 
through the air, the process of locomotion 
is threefold, or triune; i. e., there are three 
great centers of locomotion. First, the 
arms and shoulders; second, the legs, 
especially the muscles of the calves, and 
the third is that portion of the body which 
is the point of equilibrium between the 
two, and this portion perfectly describes 
an old-fashioned balance, or pair of scales, 
^-. It includes the reins, or kidneys, and 
extends to the loins, or hips. Now, in 
walking, as the weight of the body is 
thrown on one leg the opposite hip, like 



268 Esoteric Lessons. 

one end of the beam of the scales, comes 
up and the other hip goes down, then 
vice versa, and so on. This is so in true, 
natural walking; but alas! the fine, true, 
harmonious, stately gait is very rare in 
this degenerate age. Yet if this perfect 
equipoise of the body were maintained at 
every step, walking could be continued 
indefinitely without fatigue. 

But to one who understands the esoteric 
meaning of symbols there can be no more 
significant and saddening sight than to 
watch for a moment the hurrying, sway- 
ing, shuffling throng of a crowded street. 

Truly is the world blind to the knowl- 
edge of soul poise, and disobedient to 
the law which binds polar opposites into a 
unity. 

On the reflected and phenomenal plane 
this law has special reference to the forms 



A Tour Through the Zodiac. 269 

of union called marriage and partnership. 
The same law which governs marriage 
governs partnership, no matter whether the 
parties are composed of nations or only 
two individuals, and looking out into 
the world to-day, with its teeming mill- 
ions, a very serious state of affairs is 
presented to the eyes of the warrior. 

Inharmony, discord, strife everywhere. 
No marriage, all lust; no partnership, all 
monopoly. And nowhere is this more 
apparent than among those who profess 
to have found Truth — to know the real 
from the unreal. 

However, as the warrior rises to a higher 
plane, and regards the present condition 
of humanity in a larger sense, he only 
sees them with pitying and tender eyes, as 
infants learning to walk, tottering, and in 
constant danger of losing their balance; 



270 Esoteric Lessons. 

swayed first by one strong passion and 
then another, and then he knows just how 
far it is possible for one soul to help 
another — only in so far as a child can be 
helped to walk. But the child must walk 
for itself ; no one can walk for it. I can, 
by my understanding of truth, influence 
another person to do a virtuous deed. 
This deed would be the result of an 
action on my part; so, unless there is also 
a reaction on the part of the person per- 
forming the deed, there has been no equi- 
librium established whereby any inner 
purity has been evolved on his part, and 
he has not, consciously, taken a single 
step for himself toward truth. I have 
only lifted him up and carried him, and 
perhaps delayed him in the process of 
walking. He will look for some one else 
to come along and carry him instead of 



A Tour Through the Zodiac. 271 

walking for himself. The soul cannot 
grow vicariously, anymore than the child 
can so walk. 

Now this belief in the possibility of a 
vicarious union of polar opposites, or At- 
one-ment, is the great delusion of the age. 
Truly there is but one way under the Sun 
whereby men can be saved. It is by obe- 
dience to the law of equilibrium. Not a 
stupid, passive obedience, for, like every- 
thing else under the Sun, obedience is 
dual — active and passive, positive and neg- 
ative. Therefore, while I accept the fact 
that every soul must walk for itself, yet at 
the same time I remember that it must 
have its seeming props and helps, while 
learning to walk, until it attains its major- 
ity. So I must help all about me. Thus, 
for the time being, I seem to hinder, but 
only in order to help. This is that awful 



2J2 Esoteric Lessons. 

law of contradictories, so bewildering to 
the child soul, wherein we seemingly dis- 
obey in order to obey. Herein consists 
the duality of obedience. In order to 
realize absolute good I must, for the time 
being, accept relative, or seeming, evil; 
but it is only in accordance with the higher 
law, which evolves the perfect harmony 
out of seeming discord, whereby I gain 
my spiritual insight and read aright the 
esoteric meaning from the exoteric sym- 
bol. If I accept seeming evil for any 
other purpose, I am at once bound in 
chains of sense and seeming and sink 
deeper and deeper in the shadows, until 
that which should be a symbol for the very 
highest, following the law of contradicto- 
ries, becomes the very lowest and foulest, 
as is now so generally the case with sym- 
bolic marriages. 



A Tour Through the Zodiac. 273 

In the particular phase of soul unfold- 
ment through which humanity is at present 
passing, the last and highest symbol for 
mortal to comprehend is marriage — the 
union of man and woman. The very fact 
that there is a symbol proves there is a 
reality. The fact of a shadow proves 
there must be a substance. Just so the 
exoteric form we know as marriage proves, 
of necessity, a true soul marriage, and 
further, for the warrior this is a most sig- 
nificant fact and means another lesson, 
which cannot be omitted. The reason 
this At-one-ment is seldom or never real- 
ized is, as we have just seen, humanity has 
not yet developed to the point of soul 
equilibrium. It cannot yet walk; there- 
fore this soul union can only take place in 
the next phase or condition of develop- 
ment. Man can no more ltaHie scul 



274 Esoteric Lessons. 

marriage than our domestic animals could 
live our present family life. 

But right here, at this point, the warrior 
who has mastered the former lessons, 
stands forth in the strength of his God- 
given heritage, scorning the shadow sym- 
bols, determined to know only the real; 
he foregoes all the sensuous and seeming 
and becomes the true celibate. He sees 
that one of the factors in the attainment 
of his celestial heritage is the union with 
his polar opposite. The immortality of 
his soul is an utter unthinkability without 
this At-one-ment. He can never coftie 
into possession of his Kingdom until he 
places a Queen upon the Throne by his 
side. He cannot be knighted until he has 
found and won his lady. Thus is he jus- 
tified in putting aside earthly ties, only in 
order to realize the celestial union whic 



A Tour Through the Zodiac, 275 

follows obedience to the love which binds 
together polar opposites. 
lesson x. 
THE AIRY TRIPLICITY. 

II ^1 zz 



ZZ, OR PROVIDING RATIONS. 

The three duties of Bearing Arms, 
Obeying Orders and Providing Rations, 
comprised under the Airy Triplicity, relate 
more to the special training and individ- 
ual discipline of the w T arrior, yet none the 
less necessary and important to his suc- 
cess, for the properly drilled and thor- 
oughly disciplined warrior, having com- 
pleted the three sides of the Airy Triplicity, 
stands forth as the wonder-working magi- 
cian, able to transform light into the bread 
of Heaven, or the power to put into use 
the knowledge gained. 



276 Esoteric Lessons. 

First, if he knows how to bear arms, i. 
e., to properly formulate with his esoteric 
hands; second, if he has thoroughly vital- 
ized his purposes from a strict obedience 
to the laws of polar opposites and equilib- 
rium; third, then he has only to strike the 
third note of the chord to realize his 
undertakings completed and actualized, 
and himself nourished and sustained as 
are the angels of light themselves. 

Properly formulated and vitalized, his 
thoughts cannot return unto him void. 
Herein is the awful, the divinely and un- 
speakably awful force of this law of equi- 
librium or balance. They cannot return 
void, and if they have been revengeful, 
malicious or covetous, and have worked 
out results of sorrow and suffering to oth- 
ers, then, as he has measured so will it be 
measured out to him. Sooner or later 



A Tour Through the Zodiac. 2JJ 

will they complete their orbit and find him 
out. Polar opposites, vitalized, are the 
same things as centrifugal and centripetal 
forces set in motion. They will describe 
a circle. Mortal cannot annul Divine 
law. 

The warrior has now reached a point 
where he must become a breadmaker. 
First, the loaves must be kneaded and 
formulated with the hands (n) ; second, 
the loaves must be vitalized, fomented by 
an understanding of (^) the equipoise of 
the two opposite forms of force, in order 
that, third, he may realize himself nour- 
ished and sustained and finally thus self- 
sustaining {zz) . 

His bread must.be either life-giving or 
life-destroying, for, once formulated and 
fomented (vitalized), his loaves cannot 
return to him void. 



278 Esoteric Lessons. 

It is perfectly possible for him to formu- 
late expressions or images for what is 
absolutely impossible and unthinkable. 
It is also possible for him to seemingly 
vitalize his phantoms, but the awful results 
of this kind of breadmaking are sure to 
follow. His phantoms become vampires, 
which feed upon him, and even upon all 
who ignorantly come within his mental 
atmosphere. Yet this possibility must not 
deter the warrior, for he must be a bread- 
maker. He must put into practical use 
that which he has made himself acquainted 
with; he must let his cup overflow, so as 
to benefit those who walk with him. Inac- 
tion is as fatal as to create vampires for 
unthinkables and impossibilities. There- 
fore, let the work rely upon the purity of 
his motive, which is soul unfoldment and 
the attainment of his celestial heritage 



A Tour Through the Zodiac. 279 

knowing that, sooner or later, the law will 
be revealed to him from within, how those 
loaves which turn out failures and abor- 
tions can be neutralized and nothingized. 

If he is free from covetousness, vain- 
glory and sensuousness, then let him work 
only to know truth and realize justice, and 
he will find himself self-sustaining and able 
to command in emergencies, and finally find 
within himself an image of that creative 
force which, in its turn, images the Divine 
creative will, or center of the universe. 

This law of the creative, or bread-mak- 
ing* syllogism is universal in its applica- 
tion, from the most seeming and external 
life up to the highest symbolic form of our 
present phase of Earth life, or child cre- 
ating, in which the human approaches the 
nearest to the Divine parent. 

To a certain extent, the warrior must 



280 Esoteric Lessons. 

have a varied and large experience 
throughout all the worlds of form-making. 
He must work unceasingly, sa does the 
Great Creator. Herein is the import of 
the command to be "fruitful, increase and 
multiply;" not that man and woman are 
to devote their whole time, thought and 
energies to populating the globe, as the 
selfish sensualist proclaims from the house- 
top in order to procure a license for his 
own secret sins, but through that equilib- 
rium gained by the harmonious blending 
and fusing of polar opposites, or twin 
souls. 

His thoughts, truths, or bread, will be 
his children, who will guide and sustain 
him as well as those who partake of such 
royal dainties, born from the union of 
formulation and vitalization. Thus the 
bread-winner becomes the bread-distribu- 



A Tour Through the Zodiac. 281 

tor, and the loaves of understanding will 
not be void. 

The consciousness of his dual self 
evolved through his journey on the first 
side of the Airy Triangle (n) , and where 
he learns to formulate, and on the second 
side (■/>-) , where the creative principles 
are balanced — then, and not until then, 
does he become capable of breadmaking, 
or creating self-sustenance; and when he 
is able and strong enough to walk alone 
he must support others, for we cannot 
receive unless we also give. Thencefor- 
ward the warrior can enjoy the promise of 
his Creator: "For whosoever hath, to 
him shall be given, and he shall have 
more abundance; but whosoever hath not, 
from him shall be taken away even that 
he hath," and cast forth upon the univer- 
surrents the life-sustaining rations of 



282 Esoteric Lessons. 

his own winning, not in floods or great 
downpours, but as the gentle, soothing, 
rippling waves of zz. 

In bearing arms the warrior is subject 
to the higher commands of his being, and 
is, in action, manipulated by the arms — 
not the arm, but the arms, implying the 
utter uselessness of one alone. The 
brave, positive Castor must be balanced 
by his mate, Pollux; thus the training and 
culture necessary for bearing arms cor- 
rectly, as a skilled warrior, every move- 
ment known, and at what moment to 
so execute the laws of his will that they 
will not conflict with Nature's laws and 
bring failure and sorrow for his ignorant 
disobedience. 

Herein self is forgotten, self is lost in 
the recognition of the two as one, equal- 
ized, blended as one. 



A Tour Through the Zodiac. 283 

This awful mystery of self, this life- 
destroying monster, when alone, stalking 
about as the imperious I. Selfishness of 
the past must be lost, for now he becomes 
the man; that selfishness that ruled and 
regulated the life of the lower forms 
through which the soul was gaining expe- 
rience before the plane of reason and 
intuition had been reached, and then only 
can perfect obedience and equilibrium be 
attained. 

Bearing arms is wearisome, obeying or- 
ders difficult, and demands an indefatiga- 
ble exercise in Watching, Listening and 
patient advancement that the balance is 
not tilted by misjudgements. 

Then the warrior can traverse his king- 
dom and scan the circumference of his 
ground in so far as he has reached in 
his watch-tower. More climbing is to be 



284 Esoteric Lessons. 

done, hence sustenance is required; there- 
fore he must utilize his balanced forces 
and provide his own self-sustaining ra- 
tions. Another's winnings or knowledge 
would not sustain and give him the free- 
dom in exploring his universe in search 
of the object of his journey — Truth. 

What constitute the Rations? 

The attributes evolved on each side of 
the four equilateral triangles of Fire, Air, 
Earth and Water. 

Providing Rations is externalizing the 
twelve manners of fruits, each division of 
his own kingdom providing the necessary 
material. 

The truths that spring from every side 
of the triangles in the fourfold elements 
are food and sustenance to his soul. 

His journey is not yet complete. He is 
now in the realm of Imagery. Knowledge 



A Tour Through the Zodiac. 285 

and experience are necessary in this cre- 
ative realm. 

He must bear arms with caution. The 
Lance of Light and Truth must be borne 
aloft constantly, that impossible imageries 
may not be formulated and spring into 
active expression to impede his progress. 

His desires and loyal aspirations make 
him charitable to all life. Yet the true 
warrior must not hesitate at sacrifices. 
He must become master of his own king- 
dom, hence must make the lives born from 
his own thoughts subject and useful to his 
Divine will. 

The higher he ascends into the tower 
the brighter becomes his Ray of Light, 
the expanse of country broader, and new 
things appear to his vision, new conditions 
present themselves. A new stimulus to 
action is received. Responsibility is in- 



286 Esoteric Lessons. 

creased and more knowledge is required, 
and ever on and on. 

Life is motion, as the Airy Triplicity 
symbolizes, and motion is eternal. 



LESSON XI. 

THE WATERY TRIPLICITY. 

25 n X 



25, OR ASPIRING. 
The signs of the Watery Triplicity are 
pre-eminently fruitful signs, and, just as 
all physical germination, growth, pros- 
perity, maternity and fruition depend for 
their existence on water, so must the germ 
seeds of aspiration be moistened by the 
waters of spiritual life before they will 
germinate and bear us outward fruit; and 
we may go further, and say that the very 
first primordial germ of organic life itself, 



A Tour Through the Zodiac. 287 

in the first faint blush of the dawn of 
God's creation, had its origin in the ele- 
ment known as water. So, on the higher 
planes of living there must be the Water 
of Life, the springs and fountains of which 
sustain soul fruition. 

Desire is the first side of the fruitful 
triangle, that which the soul ardently longs 
for, that which the soul will fight for until 
all obstacles are vanquished, but when 
there is no desire the soul seed will attract 
no moisture to enable it to send forth its 
tiny shoots up toward the Sunlight of 
Truth. 

Yet, to the truly aspiring soul' this Wa- 
ter of Life is not anything external to the 
soul itself. On the contrary, it is the very 
element which, self-generating, flows like 
an ocean of Infinite love from the celes- 
tial, Deific center of its birthplace onward 



288 Esoteric Lessons. 

and downward through myriads of solar 
centers and starry systems until it reaches 
its perihelion point upon some earth, the 
external battle ground of matter, whereon 
it enters the good fight against the blind 
force of lower nature, to return at the ebb 
of its own celestial tide, triumphant, 
through countless spiritual states and 
spheres of glorious, pulsating life. 

Aspiring is breathing, and true breath- 
ing creates an atmosphere about the soul 
germ which will in itself collect together 
moisture and generate the seed. 

The seed that is planted at the proper 
cyclic period can, through desire and aspi- 
ration, be watered from time to time until 
the harvest is most bountiful. 

Born in water, nourished with water, 
dissolved again in water, to be born upon 
higher planes of life t Existence is eter- 



A Tour Through the Zodiac. 289 

nal, but spheres and planes are eternally 
changing. Promotion is the law of God, 
and the warrior can, by his own efforts, 
shorten his warfare upon the battle 
ground of materiality by becoming famil- 
iar with his own country, and, through the 
knowledge of its layout, the points of 
vantage and disadvantage, he can soon 
rise to the apex of the Watery Trian- 
gle. Cancer represents on the Earth the 
oceans and their correspondences, the 
broad expanse of the spiritual Water of 
Life on the spiritual plane. Here the 
soul is nearing the Divine center of its 
being. True inspiration here takes place, 
that Divine respiration, where each inha- 
lation and exhalation is in harmony with 
the ebb and flow of the tides of spiritual 
life. Hence inspiration naturally belongs 
to the signs of the Watery Triplicity. 



290 Esoteric Lessons. 

The natural moisture that will bring 
forth to external life the latent possibili- 
ties, or seeds of the soul, is desire, aspira- 
tions and creations from material (knowl- 
edge) accumulated while traversing the 
battle ground up to the present plane of 
warfare. 

Through the Water of Life knowledge 
has been born on the journey, so that his 
bread is the knowledge of good and evil, 
of polar opposites, and when his eyes take 
the observations of the flights of the birds 
the law of contradictories will direct his 
judgments and his movements. 

He has learned the law governing the 
blind forces of Nature, and now, instead 
of obeying their orders, he, himself, has 
become the triumphant master of these 
forces, and the elements, as well, as the 
elementals, of each realm are now his 



A Tour Through the Zodiac. 29 1 

servants and slaves, moving and obeying 
his kingly commands. 

Another step is taken in the watch- 
tower, and so cautiously has he moved 
over his ground, and so thoroughly mas- 
tered every condition as he proceeded, 
that now he is monarch of all he surveys 
from the point of observation that he has 
reached, and rightly earned, in his fearless 
march through the field of battle. 

He now knows the extent of his im- 
mediate battle ground, the force of the 
enemy, the obstacles to surmount, the for- 
tifications to throw up; but, being armed 
with the Lance of Truth and Knowledge 
and his path illuminated by his Ray-of- 
Light, he prepares to descend from his 
tower and take full possession of his coun- 
try, or his own individual universe, and, 
with his queen, reign supreme. 



292 Esoteric Lessons. 

"Give us this day our daily food" is 
herein signified, and it must be drawn by 
the Divine Center of our being from the 
infinite ocean of spiritual life. 

Man can draw, through respiration, all 
the moisture he wishes to nourish the 
seeds of immortal life. 

The breathing known by all true war- 
riors, that breathing of soul to soul, of 
God to Man, of Man to Woman, of Infi- 
nite to Finite, of Great to Small, is the 
harmonious relationship of polar oppo- 
sites, and soul affinities will bring the 
requisite harmony and union of the finite 
to the infinite. 

The perfect response of the body to 
mind, when the interior and exterior 
breathing is going on alternately, will set 
the soul free to soar aloft amidst its own 
special sphere of life, to grow and gain 



A Tour Through the Zodiac. 293 

knowledge of its own in the realm of real- 
ities, that he may learn their laws, and 
thus become the master of their reflec- 
tions on the battlefield of matter. 

The wielding of the scepter of aspira- 
tion calls forth inspiration, and sets in 
motion the creative power of thought. 
Here, again, the warrior is cautioned, 
in his work of creation, that he cre- 
ate not impossibilities and unthinkabili- 
ties, lest they become unconquerable foes 
on other planes, or rounds, of the esoteric 
ladder. 

Is the warrior to create new forms of 
life, that will prove willing slaves or rebel- 
lious tyrants in his kingdom? 

This is a portion of his breadmaking. 

This is a generous realm, where the 
vibrations are set up by the soul's ardent 
desires and aspirations, and the creations 
are limited only by the will. 



294 Esoteric Lessons. 

If he has not learned how to watch and 
wait, listen, and obey the God within, 
stumbling blocks will surely arise at an 
unguarded moment, and be as fungi in his 
kingdom when taking form on the second 
side of the triangle of this triplicity. 

In no realm is the reconnoiterer to be 
more guarded in his movements, for cre- 
ation follows every action. The Lance is 
here needed to put to instant flight the 
false imaginings of the soul before being 
vitalized and taking on form. 



LESSON XII. 

THE WATERY TRIPLICITY. 
25 "I X 



1^L OR ATTACKING. 

The early morning of the great day has 
at length arrived. The hour so long 



A Tour Through the Zodiac. 295 

awaited and so carefully prepared for has 
come, and the warrior now descends from 
the heights of his watch-tower, armed 
with the Ray-of-Light of Lance and 
Knowledge to meet the enemies of the 
battle ground. The war-cry is sounded, 
and echoed from center to circumfer- 
ence. 

He has descended into matter, into the 
shadows of nothingness, but from this 
plane they are real as long as the shadow 
lasts. 

He steps forward, well armed, and the 
first phantom to conquer and put to flight 
is Self. Fear is the shadow of the real 
man. He must be fearless, for " he who 
hesitates is lost." Caution guides his steps, 
and his lamp, or Divine Ray, illumines his 
path. Step by step he progresses; foes, 
real and unreal, are met with unyielding 



296 Esoteric Lessons. 

will, and a determination to return home 
the Master, the King, the Lord and Ruler 
of his own Kingdom. All must be 
brought to obedience and service of his 
Divine will. 

Not forgetting the possibility of slipping 
too far on either side of the point of bal- 
ance and becoming a tyrant on the one 
hand or a slave on the other, he keeps 
keenly alive to all conditions and wide- 
awake to all temptations that might prove 
pitfalls or unconquerable obstacles, and 
thus losing the freedom he seeks. 

He is now traversing and experiencing 
another angle of the Watery Triangle — 
the realm of creative forms. On this side 
of the triangle is the fierce struggle for 
life going on. Life is sweet to the lowest 
forms of existence, and the battle to de- 
fend and preserve it is a battle to the 



A Tour Through the Zodiac. 297 

death. This the warrior seeks to avoid — 
the premature cutting off of life, for that 
would rob him of their service and his 
rule. 

Utilization is the secret of success, not 
waste nor abandon. 

The greatest wisdom must be displayed 
in this realm of creation, where man imi- 
tates or obeys the command of his God: 
" Increase, multiply and replenish the 
Earth" — not with false images, that will 
eventually take form and become the 
shadows on the plane of matter, but 
truths, that will be solid stepping stones to 
higher rounds of being, and be of that 
nature where he can set them up as mile- 
stones to guide correctly the travelers who 
may follow him in adjoining countries. 

The life-giving force that is generated 
on this side of the triangle is threefold in 



298 Esoteric Lessons. 

its influence and power of utilization. 

Does the warrior want all his creations 
in material forms? Does he want only 
the fruits of matter, that so soon perish? 
Does he want to be buried in nothingness, 
from which eternal things cannot be born? 
No! 

Allurements of the shadows are great, 
and he must constantly pray: "Lead us 
not into temptation. " The Balance must 
be brought into constant use, the Magic 
Lance ever borne aloft, so that in an un- 
guarded moment he may not lose his way 
and be overcome by the snares ever lurk- 
ing on this side of the triangle. 

His first formulations, or conceptions, 
are here to take form and become active, 
living realities upon or in his kingdom. 

Here comes the test of his work in the 
realms visible. The mystical sign of this 



A Tour Through the Zodiac. 299 

Triplicity is revealed to the warrior as he 
enlers its sphere. Unknown and un- 
dreamed-of trials and temptations, real 
and apparent obstacles will spring up at 
every step as he goes forth to attack, 
subdue, conquer and master. 

To master is the watchword of the true 
warrior, knowing that in the sacrifice of 
forms new lives spring into existence, 
more formidable than those he sacrifices. 

It is man's duty to evolve, not destroy, 
and his creations must have the wings of 
the eagle, to bear them aloft above the 
illusions of matter. 

Here the mind rises superior to the 
lower self; the lower must and will become 
the servant of the higher. Terrible will 
be the attack; not a moment must he rest; 
looking back will be fatal. In no part of 
the warfare must one stand so resolute, so 



3oo Esoteric Lessons. 

steadfast, so courageous. No other part 
of the field is so boggy. The creations of 
sense and seeming are his enemies. No 
part of the journey is so full of rebellion, 
warring incessantly, until the whole cir- 
cumference encircling his dominions is 
encompassed. 

The vantage is not great in the realm 
ruled by Scorpio. The spark of light at 
the point of his lance will not pierce the 
darkness far, but each advancing step 
drives back to humble submission the 
lurking forms of the shadows. 

At last what transpires? Instead of the 
creeping, slimy serpent, the aspirations 
have given it wings. The Scorpion has 
been transformed. It is now the eagle, 
able to soar in the water of the Infinite 
Waters of Life instead of creeping upon 
the battle ground of matter. 



A Tour Through the Zodiac. 3O1 

The work is done. The innocent, igno- 
rant warrior returns the conqueror. He 
is bid to come up higher, and again he 
ascends to the top of his watch-tower and 
awaits his heritage. 



LESSON XIII. 

THE WATERY TRIPLICITY. 

25 ^l X 



X, OR VANQUISHING. 

As the mists and the shadows of the 
battlefield clear away the warrior pauses, 
and from his height views the mighty field 
of conflict and weighs and considers the 
results from the twelve mansions of his 
dominion. Each has been penetrated and 
the fruits gathered and garnered and he 
has partaken thereof. The illusions and 
delusions of the battlefield have been per- 



302 Esoteric Lessons. 

ceived and their nothingness realized, and 
the warrior has now to vanquish them by 
the laws he has learned in watching, lis- 
tening, patient and cautious advancement 
and reconnoitering, aspiring while attack- 
ing, and in his engagements in battle. 

He has plenty of time to reflect while 
the atmosphere is clearing. His journey 
has led him to the last rung of the exoteric 
ladder. 

The mists of seeming and sense begin 
to pass away, all preconceptions have van- 
ished, he has climbed the exoteric ladder, 
and now he is about to face the realms of 
realities and to place his foot upon the 
first rung of the esoteric ladder. 

Has he been released from all exoteric 
burdens, his bundles of loves, of hates, of 
revenge, of false conceptions and conclu- 
sions that were drawn from the realm of 



A Tour Through the Zodiac. 303 

effects and dropped by the wayside? 
These are the mists and shadows of the 
battlefield, that have clung so tenaciously 
to the warrior's outward self. 

What are the considerations of his 
reflections? 

Knowledge has been his lot and por- 
tion, and he is now fitted to proclaim his 
kingship, his queen by his side, the equi- 
librium gained, the fight for freedom won. 

Having triumphantly conquered all 
upon the field of warfare and conflict he 
rests, to behold his victories' trophies. 
The law of contradictories and corre- 
spondencies guides him in judging of re- 
sults, in drawing conclusions from being 
able to see both ends of his simple staff 
that he started out with. Cause rests 
upon one end and effects upon the other. 
Both lie within his grasp, and are obedient 
to all commands. 



304 Esoteric Lessons. 

The last external life of the embodied 
human soul has been experienced, the les- 
sons learned, the fruits of good and evil 
partaken of and fully accepted as the Di- 
vine Fiat of God; "Man, know thyself, 
and thus know thy God." 

As the warrior steps from the last rung 
of the exoteric onto the first rung of the 
esoteric ladder his works do follow him, 
and these will constitute the enemies and 
friends of the new battle ground in another 
sphere. But when he consciously realizes 
which are the illusions and delusions, that 
which is mortal from the immortal, the 
seeming from the real, then all foes are 
put to Right and he henceforth dwells in 
the land of realities. 

The mists of the battlefield having 
passed away, the country lies exposed to 
the scanning eye of its king. He looks 



A Tour Through the Zodiac. 305 

upon his works. It calls forth the reso- 
lute courage of a well-trained, unfaltering 
will to behold and to hold in check the 
emotions of awe, consternation, sadness 
and joy that would fill his heart. 

His own creations stand at his feet. 
The children created, born and reared in 
matter appeal to his care. 

Can his soul fly from its own creations, 
whether of good or evil ? No. And while 
some may be beautiful, encouraging and 
divinely inspiring, others will prove re- 
bellious, and cling as a millstone about his 
neck, impeding his progress in his spiral 
Mazy Wheel of Necessity. 

Vanquishing is the next step, The spi- 
rals have become large and expansive, 
taking in a vast domain, for he has not 
been a slothful warrior. His days of trav- 
eling have been filled with an unceasing 



306 Esoteric Lessons. 

activity that grew and broadened as he 
journeyed. He chose to know as he pro- 
ceeded, and knowledge gained expands 
the field of vision, investigations and cre- 
ations. 

Now his domains have become a mighty 
kingdom. His aspirations set his mark 
high. The Pole-Star of Truth is his goal, 
and that star stands in the center of his 
empire, and when each spiral of the exo- 
teric ladder has been traversed with but 
one motive, and that motive Truth, he can 
view, from the outward circle, or spiral of 
his ladder, the center. 

This Pole-Star, which illumines the 
whole field of battle, exposes to the eso- 
teric vision his possessions. Ls it as he 
would wish? If it were so, vanquishing 
would not be necessary. 

We have followed him thus far. The 



A Tour Through the Zodiac. 307 

veil is drawn to other eyes than his own. 

What his visions are we cannot see; 
but, taking courage, we can begin to pre- 
pare to enter on an investigating tour of 
our own country, and learn its circumfer- 
ence, the health of its soil and the products 
that may belong to it 

The Pole-Star of Love is in the center, 
filled with the radiance that can only be 
seen by climbing, and thus obtain "the 
glory forever and ever. Amen." 



BOOK REVIEWS. 



WITHIN THE TEMPLE OF ISIS. 

By Belle M. Wagner. 

"This is an Occult Novel of rare value, 
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the true light will have it." — D. C. Grunow. 

CLOTH, PRICE 75 CENTS. 



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WITHIN THE TEMPLE OF ISIS. 



"Within the Temple of Isis" is a divine revelation of the God- 
like attributes of the human soul, given in the form of a simple, 
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Its pages are replete with Occult truths. It portrays a phase 
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THE DUALITY OF TRUTH; 

— OR— 

The Occult Forces of Nature. 

Reviewed from the Standpoint 
of Hermetic Philosophy 

By Henry Wagner. M. D. 

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A rare treat is in store for you on The Sphinx and Pyr- 
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CLOTH, PRICE 75 CENTS, 

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"The liight of Egypt;" 

OR 

The Science of the Soul and the Stars. 

FOURTH EDITION. 
In Two Parts. Price, Cloth, $2; Paper, $1. 

By an Initiate in Esoteric Masonry. 

FINELY ILLUSTRATED WITH EIGHT FULL-PAGE ENGRAVINGS. 

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ESOTERIC LiESSOfiS 

By Sarah Stanley Grimke, Ph. D. 
Including 
PERSONIFIED UNTHINKABLES, 

FIRST LESSONS IN REALITY, 

A TOUR THROUGH THE ZODIAC, 
(A Sequel to) 
First Lessons in Reality. 
This is a remarkable production of occult thought, 
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Price, Cloth, $1.50. 
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THE LIGHT OF EGYPT— VOL. II. 

This is the author's posthumous work left in MS. 
to a few of his private pupils in occultism, and like 
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occult subjects. Spiritual astrology is especially elab- 
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Egypt, Vol. II, bound in cloth only, $2.00. Celestial 
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111. 

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